#v

To give aid to every poor man is far beyond the reach and power of every man. Care of the poor is incumbent on society as a whole. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#aid #beyond #care #every #every man

Blessedness is not the reward of virtue but virtue itself. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#itself #reward #virtue

Sin cannot be conceived in a natural state, but only in a civil state, where it is decreed by common consent what is good or bad. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#cannot #civil #common #conceived #consent

The endeavor to understand is the first and only basis of virtue. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#endeavor #first #only #understand #virtue

Desire is the very essence of man. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#essence #man #very

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we must direct our lives so as to please the fancy of men. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#direct #drawback #fame #fancy #great

Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues, and can moderate their desires more than their words. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#difficulty #govern #men #moderate #more

Nothing in the universe is contingent, but all things are conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the necessity of the divine nature. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#conditioned #contingent #divine #divine nature #exist

He alone is free who lives with free consent under the entire guidance of reason. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#consent #entire #free #guidance #lives

How would it be possible if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labor be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare. ↗

— Baruch Spinoza

#almost #could #difficult #excellent #found