The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-01
SOME NEW HOOKS.
spinoza's Morai Philosophy.

philosopher, under the title OF Tho Ethics "
Benedict dc Spinozd %. Van Nostranl). 1t Is a
gOod-slzed octave, printed IN large tyne. on me
paper, and must have cost its author consider
able money, which Is not likely to be returned
TO MIN from sales. In these days such an out
lay ON behalf Of writer long since de d and
gone betokens a disintcrested love OF letters
which deserves Acknowledgements II not CONF
mend ton, and we most sincerely thank this
unknown New Jerseymdn for the service he has
rendered TO the public, though we cannot
help wishing that his scholarship had been
greater than 1t IL, and his work better done.
The preface to the translation furnishes sue.
ctnct account of : IinozAs lie aud writings.
His y rents were POrtu1u sc Jews. who, Dut
the beginning " the seventeenth century, w,re
driven 10y persecution To take refuge In IA bland.
an ! settled az Ansterd am. Here Benedict, or,
A. he was called In Hebrew Biruch, the blessed
the Lltin equivalent Of the name, Il IN dict. htv
ing been subsequently assumed by hiu-wds
born in the year 1852. lie early showed re-
m .rk ,blc Intellectual ability, anI became thor
ougnly versed in the lie rninS OF his race. The
result Of his stuilts was tnat IA, ronounced
Judaism at the age " twenty fOIr. and WIS
pubncly exec nmunlc ate 1 from tnc syn igo1le.
He did no, however em o;acs Carl tinity, but
maintained for the res. OF MS lie an ildepen-
denco Of oil crce1s. Ills first published work
WIS little treatise, written for th1 uss OF
pupil. ON the philosophy Of Dss Cares. express.
Ing the principles of Ia tsysle.u Ia IN form OF
matthew itical propositions, tn watch he Addej
some origin ii tn III rhts OF his Own rus APP
peared in 1859, and followed n 1870 by his eel.
ebrated Trtctuus ThcDo rico -pOiricT, in whicn
he criticised toe JeS SRI tires In a DC
struc.iycly rdtiOnilistic f.shiOn. which has
since found nlmerou. imitator-. THIS work
provoked seems to ave deferred mi Il from pan
lishing anything moe. though lie continued
stu wing and WIRING. and left az his death.
which occurred in 1917, beside. tns nan iscript
OF the " E.hicL" two others the Trtctr'us
POlutt Us aud the d, Em,ntdioHc HfcNcctds, all OF
which, with "a sket IA ct a lie Jrew grimm ami
an amber of his letters. were edited AMI printed
In one pOsthumOIs volume Dy his fri nd and
pupil, Louis Meyer, Oth.r wbrSs, known to
have been written Dy hili, were either never
printed or have persisted though a small one In
Dutch, apparently the rII,h draft Of the
"Ethicl." VS. di,clv ret few years ago. The
enure body Of his wi inci, now extlnt, are
co uprised in three s'n II rAucnai'z volumes,
spinoza's nrivat, life AMI character were such
n 20 excite nJtnin- but resoect AMI admir-
non. Having been DIS APP ,iniel IN his FIRST love
AFT air he never IN irricd. on stall. Os'a ne neither
arecusc nor libertne lie lived ia mum lie
lodging. simply aud a3st emiolsly, supporting
himself fora con-id 'rtble dine oy the tr ile Of
grinding optical lenses. in which he gained gre It
reputation Tor skin aud ingendity. A small
pension from his friend De Nd,s. and anoih r
from the celebrated De Wit. nnlil, relieved
him from the nee -.its OF continuing this manual
employment. bat oth.r Il RI OF pecunlirv as-
sistiuce he reiu.ei I. n DID the appointment
of lroi-ssorattne Uuiv ,rsity Of Heidelberg. HIS