Spinoza

(1632 –1677)

1. Dutch philosopher, considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century
2. One of the early thinkers of the Enlightenment 
3. Gave modern conceptions of the self  
4. His Ethics: reality is perfection, highest virtue is the intellectual love or knowledge of God/Nature/Universe 
5. 3 types of knowledge—opinion, reason, intuition ; intuitive knowledge provides the greatest satisfaction of mind 
6. Hegel said of him” You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all”

Books:

1.  the Ethics - in this book he opposed Descartes' philosophy of mind–body dualism