Friends of Spinoza,

It strikes me there are two broad themes in Spinoza's Ethics:

1. All things happen according to God's will, i.e. all things happen by
necessity and nothing is contingent.

2. Our greatest good is to love God through the third form of knowledge, i.e.
through an intuitive knowledge of concrete things.

In support of the first point, I would offer the following propositions:

E1:PROP. 29. 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.

E1:PROP. 33. Things could not have been brought into being by God in any manner
or in any order different from that which has in fact obtained.

E2: PROP. 44. It is not in the nature of reason to regard things as contingent,
but as necessary.

E2: PROP. 44, Corollary 1.--Hence it follows, that it is only through our
imagination that we consider things, whether in respect to the future or the
past, as contingent.

E5: PROP. 6. The mind has greater power over the emotions and is less subject
thereto, in so far as it understands all things as necessary.

E5: PROP. 6, Note. --The more this knowledge, that things are necessary, is
applied to particular things, which we conceive more distinctly and vividly, the
greater is the power of the mind over the emotions, as experience also
testifies.

In support of the second point, I would offer the following propositions:

E5: PROP. 25. The highest endeavour of the mind and the highest virtue is to
understand things by the third kind of knowledge.

E5: PROP. 27. From this third kind of knowledge arises the highest possible
mental acquiescence.

I have no trouble with the first point, that all things happen by necessity.
This is a potent truth and can be practiced frequently throughout the day and as
part of formal meditation. Seeing the necessity of "what is" makes for
contentment and peace. It is the rational version of the prayer, "Thy will be
done".

On the issue of loving God through the third form of knowledge, I am somewhat
perplexed. I do not find Spinoza's definition of the third form of knowledge at
all comprehensible. I do understand the following propositions:

E5: PROP. 3. An emotion, which is a passion, ceases to be a passion, as soon as
we form a clear and distinct idea thereof.

E5: PROP. 3, Corollary.--An emotion therefore becomes more under our control,
and the mind is less passive in respect to it, in proportion as it is more known
to us.

E5: PROP. 4. There is no modification of the body, whereof we cannot form some
clear and distinct conception.

E5: PROP. 4, Corollary.--Hence it follows that there is no emotion, whereof we
cannot form some clear and distinct conception.

E5: PROP. 15. He who clearly and distinctly understands himself and his emotions
loves God, and so much the more in proportion as he more understands himself and
his emotions.

E5: PROP. 16. This love towards God must hold the chief place in the mind.

E5: PROP. 24. The more we understand particular things, the more do we
understand God.

These propositions lead one in the direction of loving God according to the
third form of knowledge, but they don't quite take you there; something still
seems to be missing. Yet the third floor of knowledge seems to be absolutely
central to Spinoza's message on how one arrives at Blessedness or Salvation.
Can anyone help me out to understand how to develop and practice this third form
of knowledge? Thank you in advance.

John Lehman