2. Answer the following questions

1. What influence did Spinoza have on the development of philosophy?

2. What are the early Spinoza’s writings?

3. What metaphysical concepts were mentioned in his work “The Ethics”?

4. What is the content of “The Political Treatise”?

5. What ancient and medieval philosophies did Spinoza apply to in his theories?

6. What is Spinoza’s treatment of imagination?

7. What is Spinoza’s treatment of body?

8. What makes possible to compare different ideas?

9. What is the possible way to govern people by Spinoza?

10. What is the path for freedom and virtue?

11. How are the belief in human free will and the divine purpose explained?

12. What is superior to imagination but inferior to intuitive knowledge?

3.Give English equivalents for the following expressions:

оказывать влияние на развитие основных направлений в современной академической философии; учение о разуме; отличительная черта; сравнительные пороки и достоинства различных систем правления; сложная структура человеческого тела; сохранять следы прошлого общения; подчеркивать важную связь; быть одаренным незаурядным умом; уравновешивать; иллюзия, возникающая из незнания причин наших действий

4. Match the words with their definitions:

1. mature a) a statement of what a word or expression means;

the quality of being clear;

2. eternity b) to produce smth useful such as information or evidence; to finally agree to do what smb else wants you to do;

3. to adapt c) behaving in the sensible way that you should expect an adult to behave; smth/smb that has grown to its full size;

4. controversial d) the whole of time, with no beginning and no end;

5. awareness e) an attempt to avoid a dangerous, unpleasant or embarrassing situation, esp. by moving away from it; a change in person’s or organization’s ideas, opinion or decision after they have been criticized or opposed;

6. simultaneously f) the facts or conditions that affect a situation (and cannot be controlled);

7. vivid g) to change your ideas or behaving so you can deal with a new situation;

8. circumstance h) knowledge or understanding of a subject, issue or situation; the ability to notice things;

9. retreat I) smth you disagree about or do not approve of;

10. definition j) having or producing very clear and detailed images in the mind; a clear example showing that smth exists or is true;

11. to yield k) happening or done at the same time.

5. Find synonyms for the words from the text:

to emphasize an issue dominant to distinguish

to exhibit to reflect an idea extended

influence

5. Fill in the prepositions if necessary:

1. Ancient philosophers had profound influence ___ Spinoza.

2. In his early writings Spinoza posed challenge ___ the philosophy and politics of the time.

3. People are governed not ___ reasons but ___ passions.

4. The believe ___ divine purpose is an ignorant retreat.

5. Spinoza commits himself ___ a form ___ knowledge that is higher than reason.

6. Intuitive knowledge is related ___ God.

7. Spinoza creatively transformed ancient and medieval sources ___radically new and often unsettling ideas.

8. Spinoza’s treatment of imagination underlies important connections ___“The Ethics” and the political writings. His discussion ___prophecy ___“The Tractatus Theologico Politics”, for example, is connected, through the treatment of imagination, ___his more directly political concerns .