Grinding Lenses, Sharpening Freedom

The chapter's central question

Spinoza's life of being excommunicated from the community and making an independent living seems to overlap with his attitude of valuing autonomy of understanding rather than external authority. Lens work can serve as a metaphor for the philosophy of seeing the world accurately. But his ideas also grew out of correspondence with friends, intellectual community, and political concerns about freedom of expression rather than the romance of solitude.

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Spinoza is one of the figures who lived the most noble and impoverished life in the history of philosophy. Raised in a Jewish community, he received the harshest excommunication (cherem) at the age of 24 for questioning the dogmatism of the church. He was completely abandoned by his family, friends, and compatriots, and even suffered the threat of assassination by being stabbed by a fanatic.

However, he refused a university professorship or wealthy sponsorship throughout his life, and made a living by cutting glasses and microscope lenses in the attic of a boarding house. Until his death at the age of 44 from lung disease while inhaling glass dust, he never once wrote a letter of hatred or anger towards the world that excommunicated him.

He left behind the immortal work 『Ethica』, which identifies the human mind and emotions with transparent mathematical laws, as if observing the refraction of light through a cold lens.

Context and nuance

Spinoza's 『Ethica』 places God, nature, humans, emotions, and freedom in one system through the geometric form of definitions, axioms, theorems, and proofs. Emotions are not exceptions to the laws of nature, but rather the idea of ​​change and the increase or decrease in human capacity for action.

If we turn a philosopher's life into a hagiography, it appears that his thoughts came from the individual's superhuman will. Spinoza's freedom is not the power to choose alone without a cause, but the power to more appropriately understand and actively participate in the causes that make up oneself. His life was also not outside the web of relationships and historical conditions.

Do not oversimplify it this way

Spinoza’s ‘understanding’ should not be used as a technique to rationalize others’ mistakes or endure hurts. Understanding the causes can help you set boundaries more accurately and even change your environment. We must also avoid intellectual omnipotence, which assumes that one bright thought immediately erases strong emotions. Spinoza says that an emotion can only be suppressed by a stronger opposing emotion.

Philosophy in life

Have you ever felt black inside and lost all strength in your body all day because you hated and were jealous of someone?

Spinoza's three no principles: When angry, repeat, 'Do not laugh, do not lament, do not hate, and only understand cause-and-effect relationships.'

Primary-source guide

Primary guide: Ethics III, definitions of the affects; Ethics IV–V on bondage and freedom.

Pathos Editorial · Reviewed 2026-09-12