Abstract

Within Spinoza scholarship of the ethics of the Ethics there are various interpretations of what ethical theory Spinoza was, or may have been, espousing in his work. While that may be debated, what scholars agree upon is the connection between certain types of knowledge and living the good life wherein the ethical exists. The more [adequate] knowledge one develops concerning Nature and one’s emotions, through practice of certain states of character, the more one is apt to act freely and move toward a perfected state based on intuitive knowledge: eternal blessedness. However, it is debatable among scholars whether one can reach Spinoza’s goal. The problem addressed in this work is the problem of one’s ability to become the free person who only (or primarily) lives by intuitive knowledge. I argue that it is impossible to have a perfected intuitive knowledge, thus in advocating ones ability to achieve this ideal Spinoza creates an unachievable model of ethical behavior. Further, due to one’s inability to achieve Spinoza’s perfected model, the good life actually exists in the development of certain states of character. Thus, habituation to certain states of character are of prime importance to the ethics of the Ethics.