A profoundly beautiful and uniquely insightful description of the
universe, Benedict de Spinoza's Ethics is one of the masterpieces of
Enlightenment-era philosophy.
Published shortly after his death, the Ethics is undoubtedly Spinoza's
greatest work - an elegant, fully cohesive cosmology derived from first
principles, providing a coherent picture of reality, and a guide to the
meaning of an ethical life. Following a logical step-by-step format, it
defines in turn the nature of God, the mind, the emotions, human bondage
to the emotions, and the power of understanding - moving from a
consideration of the eternal, to speculate upon humanity's place in the
natural order, the nature of freedom and the path to attainable
happiness. A powerful work of elegant simplicity, the Ethics is a
brilliantly insightful consideration of the possibility of redemption
through intense thought and philosophical reflection. The Ethics is
presented in the standard translation of the work by Edwin Curley. This
edition also includes an introduction by Stuart Hampshire, outlining
Spinoza's philosophy and placing it in context.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
