New Englander Mary Baker Eddy founded the still flourishing religion Christian Science. Her 1875 book
Science and Health argues that human sickness is an illusion, correctable by prayer alone. Christian Scientists reject modern medicine, which is based, of course, on modern science.
So why did Baker Eddy choose the name Christian Science?
In 1670, Baruch de Espinosa's Tractus Theologico Political (the First Tractus) was published in Holland, pressed in five languages, and distributed widely. Spinosa took five years to write it.
In 1688, two years before Spinosa published, a Dutch court convicted Dr. Adrian Keorbagh of blasphemy. Keorbagh wrote a book questioning religious views. The Court fined relatively wealthy Keorbagh into financial ruin, sentenced him to ten years hard labor, at the end of which he would be exiled from Holland. The prison conditions were quite harsh; Keorbagh died in 1689. This was in relatively religion tolerant Holland, mind, and apparently it was the Dutch Reform Church which brought the charges. Keorbagh was one of Spinosa's close friends. Despite very real danger, Spinosa and his friends persevered and published the First Tractus.
First Tractus was roundly condemned by most academics affiliated with religious groups. Throughout Europe, Numerous Churches and countries quickly declared First Tractus, along with Spinosa's Short Treatise and Ethics, illegal. Each work is prominent on the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books, as I discussed in an earlier diary.
Spinosa is mostly forgotten outside of Holland. The Catholic Church and other theologians claim Spinosa is discredited and that his works, being so awful, were mostly ignored. Also today, stretching back over two hundred years, there is a huge body of work termed "Natural Law." The Natural Law enthusiasts basically claim absolute rules of human morality. Sometimes they admit these so-called Natural Laws are, in their view, divinely inspired. "We can't keep poking our finger in God's eye," one televangelist recently warned.
How influential were Spinosa's insights on human nature and how it works when humans group?
“…the natural right of every man does not cease in a civil state, For man, alike in the natural and civil state, acts according to his own nature, and consults his own interest. … [I]f the fear of a majority of citizens changes in indignation, then the state dissolves…”
1670-- Baruch de Espinosa, Tractus Theologico Political Ch. 3 page 3; Chapter 4 page 6 published 1670, Holland.
“The obligations of the law of Nature cease not in society. The people generally ill treated …will be ready upon any occasion to ease themselves of a burden which sits heavy upon them [and rebellion will follow]…"
Locke, Two Treatises on Government Published 1689 England-Sections 135, 224 (Locke lived in Holland from 1682 to 1687)
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them… they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
1776 Preamble Declaration of Independence
Spinosa proposed that God, being infinite, was all of reality, all of what he called nature. Although it is true Spinosa and his books are mostly forgotten, every work which discusses "Natural Law"--and there are many thousands, mostly written by those raised Catholic--are all, know it or not, whether mentioning Spinosa or not, whether having read, heard or even thought of Spinosa or not, all works referencing "Natural Law" as basis for man's "morality" with these laws being commandments from the almighty God, all are written in response to Spinosa and his insights.
They named it "Natural Law" for the same reason Mary Baker Eddy named it "Christian Science."
Spinosa had another pertinent insight: He was reasoning almost solely with his head; most, however, think mostly with their hearts. His logical arguments cannot be expected to reach them.
Although often slandered as an Atheist, one of Spinosa's main reasons for writing First Tractus was to prove that he was not an Atheist. In fact, Spinosa considered Jesus Christ the greatest philosopher in history. It was the dangers of abuse by theocratic authority, buttressed by phony claims of miracles or divine providence, aligning with the State to which Spinosa objected.
Spinosa's insights likely did not just lead itself to the reasoning used in the Declaration of Independence. There seems strong evidence they influenced the Constitution itself.
"Having thus laid bare the bases of belief, I draw the conclusion
that Revelation {Religion, faith} has obedience for its sole object, therefore,
in purpose no less than in foundation and method, stands
entirely aloof from ordinary knowledge: each has its
separate province, neither can be called the handmaid of the other.
...
"Having thus drawn attention to the liberty conceded to everyone
by the revealed law of G-D, I pass on to another part of my subject,
and prove that this same liberty can and should be accorded with
safety to the state and the magisterial authority—in fact, that it can-
not be withheld without great danger to peace and detriment to the
community.
(P:48) In order to establish my point, I start from the natural rights of
the individual, which are co-extensive with his desires and power,
and from the fact that no one is bound to live as another pleases,
but is the guardian of his own liberty. (P:49) I show that these rights
can only be transferred to those whom we depute to defend us,
who acquire with the duties of defence the power of ordering our
lives, and I thence infer that rulers possess rights only limited by
their power, that they are the sole guardians of justice and liberty,
and that their subjects should act in all things as they dictate: never-
theless, since no one can so utterly abdicate his own power of self-
defence as to cease to be a man, I conclude that no one can be
deprived of his natural rights absolutely, but that subjects, either by
tacit agreement, or by social contract, retain a certain number,
which cannot be taken from them without great danger to the state."
Preface, Spinosa's Tractutus Theoligico Political (Bold added)
The Catholic Church may have banned Spinosa. But the Founding Father's agreed with his insight that "...no one can be deprived of his natural rights absolutely, but that subjects, either by tacit agreement, or by social contract, retain a certain number, which cannot be taken from them without great danger to the state."
We call this social contract the "Bill of Rights." The first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Further reading: Matthew Stewart, The Courtier and the Heretic. Highly recommended.
Stewart has a new book recently published about Locke and Spinoza, which I have not yet purchased.
Postscript: Thanks to Belgian Bastard for pointing out Spinosa is not forgotten in Holland and others who pointed out he is still remembered in philosophy classes and Jewish studies.