Ethics - Benedictus de Spinoza - "The Ethics" is the magnum opus, the most famous work of Benedict de Spinoza, considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy. In this volume, which was published posthumously, Spinoza lays out his ethical philosophy in geometrical order, with axioms and definitions followed by propositions."The Ethics" is divided into five parts: Part One - Concerning God, Part Two - On the Nature and Origin of the Mind, Part Three - On the Origin and Nature of the Emotions, Part Four - Of Human Bondage, or The Strength of The Emotions, and Part Five - Of the Power of the Understanding, or Of Human Freedom. Spinoza's "Ethics" is considered one of the most important philosophical treatises on the subject and a must read for all students of philosophy.Spinoza was raised in the Spanish-Portuguese-Jewish community in Amsterdam. He developed highly controversial ideas regarding the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible and the nature of the Divine. Jewish religious authorities issued a herem against him, causing him to be effectively expelled and shunned by Jewish society at age 23, including by his own family. Shortly after his death his books were added to the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books. He was frequently called an "atheist" by contemporaries, although nowhere in his work does Spinoza argue against the existence of God.