Baruch Spinoza’s God
"Deus sive Natura — God or Nature"
Baruch Spinoza
When Einstein taught at many universities in the United States, a recurring question students often asked him was always the same:
“Do you believe in God?”
Einstein always gave the same answer:
“I believe in Spinoza’s God.”
For those who are unfamiliar with this, it might not mean much, as his thoughts and perspective remained consistent.
Baruch Spinoza was an important philosopher who lived during the 17th century, at the height of rationalism. His philosophy is therefore deeply rooted in logic, to the point of identifying God with the geometric order of the world, which manifests in the perfection of nature.
His perspective can be summarised in one of his most famous expressions: Deus sive Natura—God or Nature.
Some suggest that Spinoza’s God might express these words:
"Stop praying and beating your chest. Enjoy yourself, love, sing, and make the most of everything this world has to offer you. I don’t want you to visit the cold, dark temples that you claim are my home! My temple is the mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and beaches. That’s where my house is, and that’s where I express my love. Don’t be misled by texts written about me: if you want to get closer to me, look at a beautiful landscape, feel the wind and the warmth on your skin. Don’t ask me for anything—I don’t have the power to change your life. You do. Don’t be afraid—I don’t judge or criticise, and I don’t dispense punishment. Don’t believe those who reduce me to simple rules to follow: such rules are only meant to make you feel inadequate and guilty about your actions, serving to keep you under control. Don’t always think about the afterlife, and don’t believe that it’s there you’ll encounter true beauty. This world has so much beauty to offer, and it’s up to you to discover it. Don’t think I’ve set rules—you are the sole master of your life and decide what to do with it. No one can tell you what comes after death, but living each day as if it were your last chance to love, rejoice, and do what’s necessary will help you live better. I don’t want you to believe in me just because someone forcefully claims I exist. I want you to always feel me within you and around you."
It’s easy to imagine that Spinoza’s ideas were not well received in his time, and perhaps they still aren’t today. Spinoza’s God is a God of freedom, detached from human actions of forgiveness and punishment.
Spinoza was one of the philosophers who placed life back into the hands of those living it.
Einstein fully embraced Spinoza’s geometric and natural concept of God—a perspective that invites us to reflect on what religion means to us and encourages us to broaden our views.
