ABSTRACT
Life. Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) was born in Amsterdam into a Jewish family who had fled from the Portuguese Inquisition. As a youth, he studied rabbinical philosophy and theology, and was viewed as a promising candidate for the rabbinate. But Spinoza soon showed independent thinking, encouraged by his studies in natural science and Descartes' philosophy. His independent and questioning attitude led him into conflict with the Jewish community. When neither prayers nor threats managed to turn him from his heresy, the 24-year-old Spinoza was expelled from the community under a curse. After this, Spinoza withdrew to live a quiet simple life. He earned his living by grinding lenses for optical instruments. As a result, he was free and independent. He later turned down the offer of a position at a university to devote himself wholly to his philosophical pursuits. In spite of the conflict surrounding his philosophy and accusations of atheism and materialism, no one could criticize Spinoza's way of life. His serene 1 f, distant from worldly passions and ambitions, was that of the exalted philosopher who exhibits a complete harmony between lift and doctrine. Spinoza suffered from tuberculosis, and died at the age of 45.
