Q0240
“The true end of the state is in reality freedom.” — Baruch Spinoza (Theological-Political Treatise XX)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Theological-Political Treatise XX. Theme: freedom.
English
The true end of the state is in reality freedom.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Theological-Political Treatise XX and files it under Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Baruch Spinoza
Baruch (Benedictus) Spinoza (1632–1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish descent who developed a rigorous geometric metaphysics of God-or-Nature. Excommunicated from Amsterdam’s Jewish community in 1656, he ground lenses and wrote in Latin with a small circle of freethinkers.
How to read this passage
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, politics.
Concepts in this quote
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
- Politics
- Politics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat politics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Baruch Spinoza. (n.d.). The true end of the state is in reality freedom. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0240
MLA: Baruch Spinoza. “The true end of the state is in….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0240.
Chicago: Baruch Spinoza. “The true end of the state is in….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0240.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The true end of the state is in…”?
The passage is attributed to Baruch Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise XX. The archive attributes this English wording to Theological-Political Treatise XX and files it under Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Baruch Spinoza mean by freedom?
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, politics.