Anthony Quinton on Spinoza and Leibniz: Section 3

[TheJbach]

The will has its source in the self and does not exist independently of it. The self is an image of God as created by Him. The self exercises its God-given will in the quest to realize freedom.... and this experience is by Grace.

[jjbrewer1]

lolzzzz 8:08 - 8:10

[MrAnthonyVance]

Two great speakers and thinkers engaged in a wonderful discussion who take the works of Spinoza and Leibniz and help us better understand. Totally enriching and entertaining. Applause!

[4bysmal]

The host was on fire here. I think he did a better job of explaining Leibniz's philosophy than Quinton did. Very clear and well spoken.

[DerfRellim11]

@4bysmal yeah, i was about to post that the guy on the left confused me badly from 5:10-whenever the other guy explained what he meant with about 1/10th the words.

[alifeofreason]

This is interesting. Quinton holds that Spinoza was a pantheist, but this isn't at all obvious! David Hume defined Spinoza as an atheist, and Steven Nadler (perhaps the foremost scholar on Spinoza today) also believes that Spinoza was an atheist and not a pantheist or a panentheist.

[Oppositum]

@alifeofreason There is a Spinoza scholar (N Grossman) at my university--the University of Illinois at Chicago--who maintains that Spinoza was a panentheist. Spinoza did not think that the physical/mental universe was all that existed; God is more than this, as is evident from Spinoza's comments on the attributes of thought and extension. These are only two attributes, of which there are said to be infinitely many. So, I would have to agree and conclude a sort of naturalistic panentheism

[cscambler]

@Oppositum its a good point - I thought it in its most basic form in the 1st or 2nd part, when they switched from the idea that all nature must be god to god being synonymous with nature. One could easily think a god that was greater than or equal to - something like Kantian noumena, which as is not often noted, in a certain sense both include and transcend (rather than just transcending) phenomenal nature.

[FaaarLeft]

Who has a cooler name: Spinoza or Liebniz? It's hard to decide.

[flimflam0069]

@FaaarLeft I'll adopt a third option and choose Søren Aabye Kierkegaard.

[geekorthodox9]

the idea of seeing a sound, or a word, is paradoxical and requires a poetic language to bring it closer to the realm of human understanding.

[GG74K]

sounds very much like the teachings of Ramana Maharshi or even Buddha

[TripolarProductions]

The clue to Spinoza's thinking may be found by his career and work with lenses. The development of optical lenses, has gradually heralded the arrival of atheism in the west, as an omnipresent God (who does exist) cannot be reconciled with a multitude of optical devices that cannot 'see' God from any angle, and that have inturn shaped the post-enlightenment mind and imagination. Perspective is both everything, and at the same time, nothing.

[jacobwiens]

thats assuming god is a visible entity. as said in this program, there is one substance but has unlimited facilities or attributes. to Spinoza the glass he cut would have been just as much of god, as everything els.

[zaaz369]

I love Leibniz too.

[lokadin]

I love Leibniz :D

[cyncmaster150]

I think that Spinoza simply thought that all things which exist are all apart of each other, and thus are all one thing or substance. Thus God as some call it, simply consists of all that exists and has no personality because the universe has no wants or needs, it is what it is. All things are apart of the complex of the universe and can not escape it. Making the universe by nature infinity understanding of all things. We should practice understanding which is the grounds for; Ethics.

[elephantinpajamas]

Sorry, Quinton doesn't understand Judaism. Of course, there's petitionary prayer. I'd like to hear someone sympathetic to Spinoza explain his philosophy rather than this cold fish who happens to have a position of authority.

[kesmit3]

Yeah, Quinton does make several subtle jabs at Spinoza.

[entropia34332]

leibniz's monads are so similar to what in theravada buddhism is dharmas

[indusdolphin]

was Leibniz thinking about string theory? 7:00 on the video.

[theinternetscholar]

it sounds like it. . .fundamental units of types of 'energy' (i quoted it because of the different kinds based upon philosophy/physics/religion; energy, spirit, etc)

[mohamedbongfish]

no.

[dedbusted]

I got that also. Glad youtube has people out there interested in more than Hannah Montana.