“A Free Man Thinks of Nothing Less Than of Death”

Spinoza's doctrine of the eternal existence of the mind has given rise to an enormous amount of speculation, both as to what he meant by the doctrine and why he included it in the Ethics. This chapter presents an account of what exactly Spinoza means by eternity, and what he means when he claims that the mind exists eternally. Understanding what exactly Spinoza is claiming when he claims that the mind has eternal existence, the question as to the role that claim plays in Spinoza's philosophy can be addressed.

Spinoza's doctrine of the eternal existence of the mind has given rise to an enormous amount of speculation, both as to what he meant by the doctrine and why he included it in the Ethics. This chapter presents an account of what exactly Spinoza means by eternity, and what he means when he claims that the mind exists eternally. Understanding what exactly Spinoza is claiming when he claims that the mind has eternal existence, the question as to the role that claim plays in Spinoza's philosophy can be addressed.