You are invited to join Mr. Himwich in a reading of the Latin text of Spinoza's Ethics. Mr. Himwich is working on an ancillary textbook that will help students learn the Latin fundamentals necessary to read Spinoza's text in the original. Chapter I will provide the necessary grammatical and vocabulary background to read the Title Page below and the Schema or Table of Contents. Subsequent chapters will proceed methodically through the text and become increasingly comprehensive in its explanations of how the Latin language works. It is not necessary for you to know any Latin; those who do, however, can be especially helpful. All that is required is an abiding interest in Spinoza's philosophy. Whether new to Latin or an old hand, you will help Mr. Himwich think through this project, critique the instructional materials, and develop philosophical commentary. And best of all, you will read Spinoza slowly and thoughtfully. Mr. Himwich expects the project will last for the rest of his days.
Why Spinoza? Why is he relevant today? The short answer is that his conception of a single substance that expresses itself in two ways, mind and body, may provide an explanatory apparatus that allows for a fully neurological explanation of consciousness that is not simply reductive.
| BENEDICTI DE SPINOZA | |
| E T H I C A | |
| ORDINE GEOMETRICO DEMONSTRATA | |
| ET | |
| IN QUINQUE PARTES DISTINCTA | |
| IN QUIBUS AGITUR | |
| I. | DE DEO. |
| II. | DE NATURA ET ORIGINE MENTIS. |
| III. | DE ORIGINE ET NATURA AFFECTUUM. |
| IV. | DE SERVITUTE HUMANA SEU DE AFFECTUUM VIRIBUS. |
| V. | DE POTENTIA INTELLECTUS SEU DE LIBERTATE HUMANA. |
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