Determined?

Among people who are enamoured of the idea of free will – “You can do anything you set your mind to!” and similar platitudes – determinism can seem like a bleak and defeatist doctrine. And yet, approached with an open heart, it is anything but bleak. As Robert Flix writes (Spinoza in Plain English: Understanding Determinism, Freedom, and Joy pp.48-49): Spinoza insists this is exactly where true freedom lies. Freedom is not breaking the rules of necessity (impossible), but understanding them so deeply that you stop being dragged by them. The more you know about why you feel envy, why you feel fear, why you lash out, the less they control you. Knowledge is emancipation. That’s why Spinoza’s “blessed life” isn’t about divine rewards, heavenly mansions, or even worldly success. It’s about serenity. It’s about looking at the chain of causes that binds you, recognizing it for what it is, and saying: Yes, this is necessary, and I am part of it. The payoff is what he called the intellectual…

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