Spinoza on Knowledge

Kant said that we would all be be Spinozists, if not for the difference between things in themselves and appearances (Marjorie Grene).

This is a big deal! (Maybe not?? Skepticism about skepticism?? Hahah go to hell, my brain) This is a big deal because Spinoza thinks that there are 3 basic types of knowledge. This was later used by Locke (born the same year as Spinoza).

My Professor Jesseph says they are like 3 octanes of knowledge.

1) The first one says that knowledge is your basic belief. Incidentally this is the one subject to the most mistakes. So sorry.

2) The next one is something that we could work out with a math proof. Like, say, the entire Ethics by Baruch Spinoza. (He thought that his proofs of ethics were so written that no one would be able to disagree with him). You can imagine this, though, right? Whats 1589 times 3695039? If you can do it in your head, you might have the third kind:

3) Intuition is where you just know. You just know, man. Not coincidentally, this is Spinoza's favorite. Basically throughout his prominent years, he went through his debates saying, "I know (blank) in the way that I know there are 3 sides to a triangle" There's a whole bunch of permutations of this that Spinoza says, and actually the phrase in itself might be taken from Xenophanes, who noticed that cow herdering societies prayed to cow Gods (why would they do that? But that's another story).

The problems with this will be discussed later, but should be more or less obvious to you on the second reading of the above (vicinity of questions you should ask yourself: why does this matter?)

People reading this blog might note that there are three types of knowledge and three types of friendship. Small, medium, and Large. For those of us who like Supersize, you're going to have to go to 1980's-1990's McDonald's. It might not exist anymore, kiddo.

So inquiring minds (and facadesaside blog followers) might connect:

1) Belief-Friendship to Aristotles' Event-Single Cause-or limited Duration Friendship
2) Math Proof Friendship to Aristotles' Pleasure in the Person Friendship
3) Intuition Friendship to Aristotles' Wishing Virtue in the Other person Frienship

Or permutations of the two!!!

Not surpisingly, Spinoza had an abundance of friends. Also not surprisingly, some of these were bad people who burned and stole some of his writings after he died (oops).

Ah! Jake we were always waiting for you to say this to us! Friendship!!! You've told us all we need to know!!! Never again will there ever be trouble!!


Here's a question for Dr. Pendlebury and Kant Scholars. Kant thinks we can know space, time, and cause and effect relations; but most certainly not things in themselves. What does Kant think about Friendship?? (Capital F)