Seekers of Unity | The Case for Spinoza's Mysticism @SeekersofUnity | Uploaded April 2021 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
Was Spinoza a Mystic? Presenting: The Case for Spinoza’s Mysticism.

The final chapter of Spinoza’s Magnum Opus, the Ethics has been called “impenetrable,” and its central idea of amor dei intelectualis, intellectual love of God, “the central doctrine in Spinoza’s philosophy” has been called “one of the more opaque elements in a work full of opacity.” Many, even those that taken Spinoza very seriously, have dismissed this final chapter as “worthless,” “an unmitigated disaster,” “a concession to the masses,” they said the rigorous philosopher has “gone soft” and “fallen back into his mystical experience” as his clarity waned.

We say nay nay, Spinoza did not go soft, wane, buckle, sway or break at the end. Spinoza’s final chapter - enigmatic religious language and all - is nothing less than the stunning crowing culmination of his life’s work. Spinoza’s great mind glimpsed the secrets of the universe, the rhythm and riddles of Nature and the essence of God. In his final chapter he put pen to paper to pass over what he gleaned, to guide others, for centuries to come, toward a life of love, peace, eudaimonia, salvation and blessedness. All without compromising for a moment on his lucid, rigorous, logical and mathematically form.

When one of history’s greatest minds tells us the secret to salvation, we ought to pay close attention. If we do, and manage to penetrate his words, time may just stop and allow us to see things as he did, sub species aeternitatis, under the aspect of eternity. And the love, bliss, calm and respite that seeps through the paused moments of time will find you waiting.

00:00 Spinoza was a what?!
02:08 Intro: Mysticism vs Monism
11:12 Content: Third Kind of Knowledge
15:07 Method: Rationality vs Mysticism
19:11 Amor Dei Intelectualis: State of Love
25:54 Extent: Spinoza’s Epistemological Hubris
27:56 Qualia: State of Mind
34:04 Summary: The Case
35:11 Conclusion: Spinoza’s Mysticism

Check out the rest of our Spinoza Series:
Spinoza’s Metaphysics: youtu.be/trBAIrywhMk
Spinoza’s God: youtu.be/ZCwUCC-GsNg
Spinoza's Secret for Happiness: youtu.be/MC1JVerhHjY
Did Spinoza Learn Kabbalah?: youtu.be/ANtCH_vMgw0
Spinoza, Atheist or Kabbalist?: youtu.be/Sat1pz1N63U

Check out our college Justin Sledge @TheEsotericaChannel's accompanying video: Spinoza - Rationalist Atheist or Mystical Pantheist ? Exploring Spinozism from Toland to Deleuze
youtu.be/6Tg03chJpZ4

We hit 5K subscribers! Drop a question in the comments of last weeks vid for the upcoming Q&A and check out our diy merch patches: youtu.be/07z7OGBkQ5I
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Some fun sources:
The Intellectual Love of God, Steven Nadler, The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza
Warren Zev Harvey, “‘Ishq, Hesheq, Amor Dei Intellectualis,” in Steven Nadler, ed. Spinoza and Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Cambridge University Press, 2014), 96-108.

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