Those who are governed by reason desire nothing for themselves which they do not desire for the rest of humankind. - Benedictus de Spinoza

Although Baruch Spinoza is one of the great thinkers of the European philosophical tradition, he was not a professional scholar – he earned his modest living as a lens grinder. So, unlike many thinkers of his time, he was unconstrained by allegiance to a church, university or royal court. He was free to be faithful to the pursuit of truth. This gives his philosophy a remarkable originality and intellectual purity – and it also led to controversy and charges of heresy. In the 19th century, and perhaps even more recently, "Spinozist" was still a term of abuse among intellectuals. In a sense, Spinoza was always an outsider – and this independence is precisely what enabled him to see through the confusions, prejudices and superstitions that prevailed in the 17th century, and to gain a fresh and radical perspective on various philosophical and religious issues.

Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many.

SOCIEDAD (civitas, respublica, multitudo) Surge de la composición — mediante pacto — de las potencias individuales, en aras de la común utilidad y del apetecido beneficio para todos (TP 2 y 3), y se generaliza como que nada hay más útil que el hombre para el hombre,