The Oxford Philosophical Texts series consists of authoritative teaching editions of canonical texts in the history of philosophy from the ancient world down to modern times. Each volume provides a clear, well laid out text together with a comprehensive introduction by a leading specialist, giving the student detailed critical guidance on the intellectual context of the work and the structure and philosophical important of the main arguments and explain unfamiliar references and terminology, and a full bibliography and index are also included. The series aims to build up a definitive corpus of key texts in the Western philosophical tradition, which will from a reliable and enduring resource for students and teachers alike. Spinoza's Ethics is one of the classical texts of philosophy but is also one of the most difficult to understand because of the author's use of rigorous logical deduction and the geometrical framework within which his ideas are set. In Ethics, he discusses the nature of human beings and the way in which a rational person might live; the nature of God; and offers an account of true freedom and how it can be attained. This latest text in the Oxford Philosophical Texts series includes a new, lucid translation of the Ethics by G.H.R. Parkinson along with a comprehensive guide to the understanding of Spinoza's work. An extensive introduction includes: a short biography of Spinoza himself; the form of his writing including his own particular uses of definitions; an introductory guide through the philosophy of Ethics; and a summary of the contents of Ethics itself. Further aids include a glossary of terms, extensive notes to the text.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Introductory Material How to Use this Book List of Abbreviations Editor's Introduction 1. Life and Works 2. 'Demonstrated in Geometrical Order' 3. The Starting-Points of Ethics: Axioms, Postulates, and Definitions 4. Substance and Attributes 5. The Modes of Extension 6. The Modes of Thought 7. Causation and Necessity 8. Truth and the Kinds of Knowledge 9. Conatus 10. The Emotions 11. The Moral Philosophy of the Ethics 12. The Influence of the Ethics Select Bibliography A Summary of Spinoza's Ethics Notes on the Translation Part 2: The Text Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order Part One: On God Part Two: On the Nature and Origin of the Mind Part Three: On the Origin and nature of the Emotions Part Four: On Human Servitude, or, On the Strength of the Emotions Part Five: On the Power of the Intellect, or, On Human Freedom Part 3: Supplementary material Glossary Notes to the Ethics Index of References Index of Names and Subjects