Question

How can humans achieve freedom and happiness, according to Spinoza? Do you agree with Spinoza? How so?

Answer 1

Humans achieve freedom and happiness, according to achieving a psychological state that involves overcoming obstacles to this state, of happiness such as the passions, painful and disruptive passive effects of them. Further, Spinoza does not call happiness the perfection of human nature, or the good that is natural to human beings as he rejects the idea that anything in nature, i.e. in reality as a whole, lacks; fulfilment i.e. perfection. According to him; the concepts good and bad, perfect and imperfect are relative, for example, the venom of a snake is bad for us, but good for the snake that bites us. Thus according to him, good and bad, perfection and imperfection are not aspects of reality, but rather depend upon how we perceive them and the different ways of assessing things. Accepting this reality and living satisfied with the decree of God is Spinoza’s way of achieving freedom and happiness. I agree with Spinoza as a believer in the presence of God I think God is the best judge of my situation and he is the best caretaker so I should rely on him and think positive about everything that happens in my life to be happy.