Celibacy 02
Philosophers' Celibacy (2) - Baruch Spinoza
“Blessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself; neither do we rejoice therein, because we control our lusts, but, contrariwise, because we rejoice therein, we are able to control our lusts.” (Part V. Of the Power of the Understanding, or of Human Freedom, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) lived a life of voluntary celibacy, as I myself do. He remained unmarried and had NO children or significant romantic relationships throughout his 45-year life. Along with his extreme frugality and solitude, Spinoza's voluntary celibacy was consistent with his philosophical pursuit of a life guided by reason and his rejection of passions that he believed led to human bondage.
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| Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) |
“When this is the case with a man who is not asleep, we say he is delirious or mad; nor are those persons who are inflamed with love, and who dream all night and all day about nothing but their mistress, or some woman, considered as less mad, for they are made objects of ridicule…
But, in reality, Avarice, Ambition, Lust, etc., are species of madness, though they may not be reckoned among diseases.” (Part IV. Of Human Bondage, or the Strength of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Baruch Spinoza’s Celibacy and Lifestyle
Baruch Spinoza did NOT view sexuality or marriage as inherently evil, but rather as a distraction from the pursuit of intellectual love and freedom of the soul.
In his “Ethics”(1677), Baruch Spinoza argues that excessive sexual desire is a species of madness that interferes with rational thought, and that true, active knowledge requires a level of emotional detachment.
As he was born and lived in the Dutch Republic, Baruch Spinoza chose to live in a quiet voluntary solitude, moving between Rijnsburg, Voorburg, and The Hague. This solitary lifestyle allowed Spinoza to avoid social obligations and focus entirely on his philosophical work.
Baruch Spinoza's ascetic virtues, poverty, frugality, humility, and celibacy, were NOT traditional, moralistic austerities, but rather a temple of his own body for his philosophical superabundant Grand Vivant.
“Human infirmity in moderating and checking the emotions I name bondage: for, when a man is a prey to his emotions, he is not his own master, but lies at the mercy of fortune: so much so, that he is often compelled, while seeing that which is better for him, to follow that which is worse.” (Part IV. Of Human Bondage, or the Strength of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Baruch Spinoza's Philosophy of Celibacy
Baruch Spinoza’s celibacy was a crucial element of the solitude required for his philosophical work. Spinoza lived a solitary life and dedicated to study, avoiding the distractions of conventional social obligations, including marriage and children.
Spinoza's deliberate choice of life was aligned with his philosophical pursuits, which emphasized moderation, the control of emotions, and the pursuit of rational, intellectual euphoria, rather than physical pleasures.
The ascetic virtues of humility, poverty, and chastity were NOT just ethical rules for Spinoza. But instead, Spinoza regarded them as powers that allow for a clearer vision of reality that sees beyond excessive passions and temporal existences.
Spinoza argued that an excessive attachment to external things, including passionate love and sexual desire, limits human freedom and causes the mind to be controlled by fortune. Spinoza named this delirium “bondage”.
Spinoza's philosophy of pantheism centers on the “amor intellectualis dei” (intellectual love of God). It's a calm, contemplative, and joyous love, just as opposed to the volatile passions of physical love.
“In two ways it is possible to free ourselves from love: either by getting to know something better, or by discovering that the loved object, which is held by us to be something great and glorious, brings in its train much woe and disaster.” (Chapter V. On Love, Short Treatise on God, Man, and His Well-being. Baruch Spinoza)
Sexual Desire and Marriage
Baruch Spinoza was skeptical and distrustful of passionate sexual love, which passes into hate through jealousy or envy, as doomed to failure. If love is NOT based on reason, the fickle lust should end up a “species of madness.”
Spinoza did NOT thoroughly condemn sexuality. But Spinoza was critical of the intensity of romantic love, emphasizing that such passions, excessive emotions, hinder the freedom of the soul and the pursuit of knowledge, disturbing the peace of mind.
“As concerning marriage, it is certain that this is in harmony with reason, if the desire for physical union be not engendered solely by bodily beauty, but also by the desire to beget children and to train them up wisely; and moreover, if the love of both, to wit, of the man and of the woman, is not caused by bodily beauty only, but also by freedom of soul.” (Part IV. Of Human Bondage, or the Strength of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Conatus – Power for Life
“Everything, in so far as it is in itself, endeavours to persist in its own being.”
(Part III. On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Baruch Spinoza’s concept, Conatus, is the innate, fundamental endeavor or drive of every existence to persevere in its own being. Conatus is the essential nature of ALL finite things, both mind and matter, to persist and persevere in their existence.
As Baruch Spinoza wrote his works in Latin, Conatus is a Latin word for ‘effort,’ ‘endeavor,’ or ‘striving.’ Conatus is NOT a passive instinct, but the active, inner essence. It is the drive to maximize our power of acting to be the most complete version of ourselves.
Conatus is NOT simply about passively staying alive as an existence, but about actively persevering and flourishing. A person with a strong Conatus proactively seeks to grow in knowledge and happiness beyond survival.
For Spinoza, desire is also Conatus when Conatus involves both mind and body. Therefore, the goal of life is to pursue desires as Conatus that enhance our existence, rather than those that destroy us.
“Desire is appetite with consciousness thereof. It is thus plain from what has been said, that in no case do we strive for, wish for, long for, or desire anything, because we deem it to be good, but on the other hand we deem a thing to be good, because we strive for it, wish for it, long for it, or desire it.” (Part III. On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
The Goal of Understanding and Freedom
Baruch Spinoza suggests that the purpose of life is to know and fulfill our own power, Conatus, in a way that maximizes joy for life and rational understanding. It allows us to flourish as an active part of Nature, which is identical to the immanent God.
Spinoza identifies true happiness, or blessedness, NOT in fleeting pleasures, which come from passions and avarice, but in the constant and eternal joy for life that comes from rational understanding and knowing God, that is to say, Nature, as Deus sive Natura (= God or Nature).
The primary aim of Spinoza’s ethical work, “Ethics,” is to free human beings from the "bondage" of passions. This can be achieved by a rational understanding of the causes of our emotions and controlling them, rather than being controlled by them.
“The mind can undergo many changes, and can pass sometimes to a state of greater perfection, sometimes to a state of lesser perfection. These passive states of transition explain to us the emotions of pleasure and pain. By pleasure therefore in the following propositions I shall signify a passive state wherein the mind passes to a greater perfection. By pain I shall signify a passive state wherein the mind passes to a lesser perfection.” (Part III. On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions, Ethics. Baruch Spinoza)
Baruch Spinoza's celibate life was a deliberate, integrated application of his deterministic Pantheism. According to his own concept of the Conatus as the fundamental driver for being, Spinoza focused on escaping the bondages of temporary, corporeal pleasures, in favor of an essential, persevering happiness.
Spinoza's 45-year life was none other than a testament consistent with his philosophy in finding peace through intellectual and rational endeavor based on his celibacy and ascetic lifestyle.
Further reading (sponsored by Amazon):
● Steven Nadler (2020). Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die. 244 pages. Princeton University Press.
(sponsored by Amazon)
“Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die” is an engaging guide to what Baruch Spinoza can teach us about life’s big questions from Steven Nadler. In “Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die,” Steven Nadler connects Spinoza’s ideas with his life and times to offer a compelling account of how Baruch Spinoza can provide a guide to living our BEST life! An unmatched introduction to Spinoza’s moral philosophy, “Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die” shows how Spinoza’s ideas still provide valuable insights about how to live today!
Table of Contents
1: “A New Way of Life”
2: A Model of Human Nature
3: The Free Person
4: Virtue and Happiness
5: From Pride of Self-Esteem
6: Fortitude
7: Honesty
8: Benevolence and Friendship
9: Suicide
10: Death
11: The Right Way of Living
Notes
Bibliography
Index
