Q0331
“A free man thinks of nothing less than of death.” — Baruch Spinoza (Ethics IV, Prop. 67)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Ethics IV, Prop. 67. Theme: freedom.
English
A free man thinks of nothing less than of death.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Ethics IV, Prop. 67 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, death, wisdom.
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.
- Death
- Philosophy quotes about death confront mortality, fear, legacy, and what a finite life can mean.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Baruch Spinoza. (n.d.). A free man thinks of nothing less than of death. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0331
MLA: Baruch Spinoza. “A free man thinks of nothing less than….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0331.
Chicago: Baruch Spinoza. “A free man thinks of nothing less than….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0331.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “A free man thinks of nothing less than…”?
The passage is attributed to Baruch Spinoza, Ethics IV, Prop. 67. The archive attributes this English wording to Ethics IV, Prop. 67 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, death, wisdom.