Part Five: On the Power of the Intellect, Or, On Human Freedom Summary and Analysis

Part Five builds on the rest of the Ethics as a whole and may be regarded as its climax. In Part Four we understood what human freedom is. Part Five teaches us how we can gain it, and it specifies true religion, or our right relations to God. Spinoza splits Part Five into three sections. Spinoza will explain how to live an active, free life. He then will cover what emotions are appropriate of the free man and articulates a unique understanding of Divine love and love for the Divine. Finally, we will learn about which motives one should have for right action.

First, Spinoza argues that reason has some control over our passions. Descartes held that the passions...