The Ethics and On the Improvement of the Understanding

"The Ethics" is the magnum opus, the most famous work of Benedict de Spinoza, considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy. In this volume, which was published posthumously, Spinoza lays out his ethical philosophy in geometrical order, with axioms and definitions followed by propositions. "The Ethics" is divided into five parts: Part One - Concerning God, Part Two - On the Nature and Origin of the Mind, Part Three - On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions, Part Four - Of Human Bondage, or The Strength of The Emotions, and Part Five - Of the Power of the Understanding, or Of Human Freedom. Spinoza's "Ethics" is considered one of the most important philosophical treatises on the subject and a must read for all students of philosophy. Also contained in this volume is a representative selection from Spinoza's "On the Improvement of the Understanding".