The highest endeavour of the mind, and the highest virtue is to understand things by the third kind of knowledge.
 Baruch Spinoza, Ethics (1677). copy citation

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Author Baruch Spinoza
Source Ethics
Topic knowledge understanding virtue
Date 1677
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by R. H. M. Elwes
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3800/3800-h/3800-h.htm

Context


PROP. XXIV. The more we understand particular things, the more do we understand God.
Proof.—This is evident from I. xxv. Coroll.
PROP. xxv. The highest endeavour of the mind, and the highest virtue is to understand things by the third kind of knowledge.
Proof.—The third kind of knowledge proceeds from an adequate idea of certain attributes of God to an adequate knowledge of the essence of things (see its definition II. xl. note. ii.) ; and, in proportion as we understand things more in this way, we better understand God (by the last Prop.)” source

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