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Full Idea
To understand is the absolute virtue of the mind.
Gist of Idea
To understand is the absolute virtue of the mind
Source
Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], IV Pr 28)
Book Ref
Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Ethics', ed/tr. White,WH/Stirling,AH [Wordsworth 2001], p.182
A Reaction
A possible epigraph for this website. Perhaps it should be required by law that this be printed on the frontispiece of every philosophy book ever published.
Related Idea
Idea 17211 Understanding is the sole aim of reason, and the only profit for the mind [Spinoza]
| 17212 | To understand is the absolute virtue of the mind [Spinoza] |
| 20115 | All of our normal mental life could be conducted without consciousness [Nietzsche] |
| 20117 | Only the need for communication has led to consciousness developing [Nietzsche] |
| 7155 | Consciousness exists to the extent that consciousness is useful [Nietzsche] |
| 7143 | Consciousness is a 'tool' - just as the stomach is a tool [Nietzsche] |
| 5809 | Some activities are performed better without consciousness of them [Dretske] |
| 3470 | Conscious creatures seem able to discriminate better [Searle] |
| 4271 | There is consciousness whenever behaviour must be explained in terms of mental activity [Scruton] |
| 2412 | Can we explain behaviour without consciousness? [Chalmers] |
| 4941 | Consciousness can create new axioms, but computers can't do that [Edelman/Tononi] |
| 9780 | Consciousness is a malfunction of evolution [Zizek] |
| 4741 | A very powerful computer might have its operations restricted by the addition of consciousness [Clark,T] |