On The Rational Freedom Of Spinoza

Freedom has become the dream of human since they were civilized. Many philosophers have tried to make different theories about freedom including Spinoza. As the key concept, freedom condensed the basic conflicts and vein of Spinoza's philosophy. Also it contains the marrow of Spinoza's philosophy. This article discusses the relations between freedom and the world, freedom and necessity, freedom and morality, freedom and society. During the process of pursuing freedom and summum bonum and then realizing them, he put man in the great background of the cosmos. On the one hand, Spinoza demonstrated the necessity of man, in that, man is determined and subordinate in the nature; On the other hand, he made it amply sure that as an existence with spirit, man has the boundless probability of gaining freedom and summum bonum. Nature is the basic factor of man's existence. Understanding and recognizing nature is important for man to gain freedom and for Spinoza to interpret freedom. Spinoza's view on the relation between nature and human or nature and freedom is very distinguished. As a determinist, Spinoza thought the existence and development of the whole cosmos is determined and human do not occupy a special status. God or nature or entity is the highest existence while everything including human are limited modes. So man has no reason to do things based on self and utile other things but should realize the status of self after throwing away the arrogance. God or nature or entity embodied itself through limited modes that is everything in the world embodies the highest necessity. So there are the possibility and base of freedom which is to realize one's real nature, to try to pursue freedom as it should be.Freedom is not on the contrary of necessity but is itself a most basic and intern necessity. Using reason to recognize the necessity of nature and of man is the only way to gain freedom. There are full of necessities in the nature and nobody can escape. That one's conduct is under control or free is up to that if it is because of extern necessity or intern necessity but not up to if the conduct is arbitrary. Extern necessity is embodied by limited modes, which make people tempted by desire and emotion. Intern necessity is from God or entity directly that can lead people to live on real nature which means obtaining freedom. If man gets rid of the domination of emotions, illusions and wrong ideas, and tries to live on man's own nature, man can enjoy the freedom and happiness of life, which is the highest realm of man.Spinoza considered not only the freedom of individuals butalso the whole society's harmony and orderness without which the freedom of individuals is just empty. The requirements of freedom are moral as well as social. If everyone can restrain himself through ration and live on necessity,the moral society will be formed at the same time. Since the necessity is unique man can share a moral criterion and a moral life of all. In such a society people will not indulge in desires without considering others' benefit but will obey the common criterion which protects the steadiness, fairness, harmony and happiness of the society.In a word, the freedom of Spinoza required people to be humble and do not pursue those unapproachable or they will be punished by the nature. This means a lot to modern arrogant people. Only when we put ourselves in the proper status in the world and society, have a wider and deeper perspective and treat others with a tolerant attitude can we obtain the freedom and peace of spirit.