Perfect Spinoza

While laying in hospital, I finished Re-enchanment, a highly readable review of the key players and issues in Tibetan Buddhism as it was introduced to North America beginning in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Author Jeffrey Paine’s comparison of Buddhism and cinema is especially interesting (both ignore the metaphysical and require the individual to build meaning out of sensation and movement), but it was a small remark about Spinoza that captured my attention.

Paine notes that the 17th century Dutch philosopher found perfection in reality, a conclusion I reached myself in my musings below. A little research reveals that Mr Spinoza was quite a forward thinker and makes me wonder why I never learned much about him or his ideas in my university philosophy classes.

For an intelligent discussion of Spinoza’s work, have a listen here. (You’ll need RealPalyer to listen.)

#