Spinoza, Locke, and Hume Sophie’s World, Chapters 19 – 21 Baruch Spinoza •  1632-­‐1677, Belonged to Jewish community in Amsterdam •  Applied historico-­‐criHcal interpretaHon of the Bible •  Ethics Geometrically Demonstrated –  Wanted to show that human life is subject to the universal laws of nature –  All material things, everything that happens are an expression of God or nature •  Pantheism-­‐God is the transcendent reality of which man, nature, and the material universe are manifestaHons •  Monism-­‐everything can be reduced to a single reality (Spinoza uses the word Substance, and someHmes God or nature) •  Thought vs. Extension •  Determinism-­‐everything, including human acHons are enHrely controlled by previous condiHons, operaHng under laws of nature John Locke •  1632-­‐1704, English •  Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) –  Where do we get our ideas from? –  Can we trust our senses? •  Empiricist –  Tabula Rasa –  SensaHon vs. reflecHon; simple sensaHon vs. complex idea –  Primary vs. secondary qualiHes •  Natural rights, belief in God based on human reason, equality of the sexes, division of powers David Hume •  1711-­‐1776, Sco_sh •  A Trea:se of Human Nature –  Empiricist –  Impressions vs. ideas –  Complex ideas: like a cut and paste? •  God as a complex idea? •  Ego as a complex idea? –  AgnosHc –  CorrelaHon vs. causaHon –  Reason vs. senHment in Ethics