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Full Idea
Spinoza could only think his philosophy, not believe it, for it stood in immediate contradiction to his necessary conviction in daily life, whereby he was bound to regard himself as free and independent.
Gist of Idea
Spinoza could not actually believe his determinism, because living requires free will
Source
Johann Fichte (works [1798], I:513), quoted by A.W. Moore - The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics 06.2
Book Ref
Moore,A.W.: 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics' [CUP 2013], p.149
A Reaction
This seems to be invoking Kant's idea that we must presuppose free will, rather than an assertion that we actually have it.
| 6912 | For Fichte there is no God outside the ego, and 'our religion is reason' [Fichte, by Feuerbach] |
| 21973 | Fichte believed in things-in-themselves [Fichte, by Moore,AW] |
| 20951 | The absolute I divides into consciousness, and a world which is not-I [Fichte, by Bowie] |
| 21914 | We can deduce experience from self-consciousness, without the thing-in-itself [Fichte] |
| 21964 | Reason arises from freedom, so philosophy starts from the self, and not from the laws of nature [Fichte] |
| 21968 | Abandon the thing-in-itself; things only exist in relation to our thinking [Fichte] |
| 21970 | Philosophy attains its goal if one person feels perfect accord between their system and experience [Fichte] |
| 21965 | Spinoza could not actually believe his determinism, because living requires free will [Fichte] |