Full Idea
Nature certainly does not create peoples, individuals do, and individuals are only separated into nations by differences of language, law and morality.
Gist of Idea
Peoples are created by individuals, not by nature, and only distinguished by language and law
Source
Baruch de Spinoza (Tractatus Theologico-Politicus [1670], 17.26)
Book Reference
Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Theological-Political Treatise', ed/tr. Israel,Jonathan [CUP 2007], p.225
A Reaction
Quite wrong, I think. How did languages evolve if there were not already distinct peoples? Do ants and bees only form into colonies by individual choice? All social contract theories seem to make Spinoza's assumption.