Benedict de Spinoza in his chapter, "Origin and Nature of the Emotions," in his 1667 classic, THE ETHICS (Prometheus Press, Amherst, NY: 1982) wrote the following on page 162:
"Prop. XLVIII. Love or hatred toward, for instance, Peter is destroyed, if the pleasure involved in the former, or the pain involved in the latter emotion, be associated with the idea of another cause: and will be diminished in proportion as we conceive Peter as not to have been the sole cause of either emotion."
Applying this proposition to the centuries-long, African slave trade, both that one internal to Africa, and that one external to Africa laden for: Arabia, the America's, and Europe, I have deduced these premises:
If the African slave trade was a function of foreordained history, then, the animus and avariciousness of Arabs, Europeans, and others, including Africans, themselves, as the "sole cause" of the slave trade, is also thereby diminished proportionally. Indeed, it is eliminated altogether!
"Foreordained history" means not accidental, or fortuitous occurrences, but cosmically preset involutions and devolutions in "humans"; like the seasons, tides, stars, or planetary orbits are not accidental or fortuitous.
Such a perspective of "foreordained history" will free many peoples of their guilt, anguish, and shame, whether they are descendants of: the enslavers, their facilitators, or the enslaved, according to Spinoza's proposition.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
SPINOZA'S PROPOSITION XLVIII AND THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
Benedict de Spinoza in his chapter, "Origin and Nature of the Emotions," in his 1667 classic, THE ETHICS (Prometheus Press, Amherst, NY: 1982) wrote the following on page 162:
"Prop. XLVIII. Love or hatred toward, for instance, Peter is destroyed, if the pleasure involved in the former, or the pain involved in the latter emotion, be associated with the idea of another cause: and will be diminished in proportion as we conceive Peter as not to have been the sole cause of either emotion."
Applying this proposition to the centuries-long, African slave trade, both that one internal to Africa, and that one external to Africa laden for: Arabia, the America's, and Europe, I have deduced these premises:
If the African slave trade was a function of foreordained history, then, the animus and avariciousness of Arabs, Europeans, and others, including Africans, themselves, as the "sole cause" of the slave trade, is also thereby diminished proportionally. Indeed, it is eliminated altogether!
"Foreordained history" means not accidental, or fortuitous occurrences, but cosmically preset involutions and devolutions in "humans"; like the seasons, tides, stars, or planetary orbits are not accidental or fortuitous.
Such a perspective of "foreordained history" will free many peoples of their guilt, anguish, and shame, whether they are descendants of: the enslavers, their facilitators, or the enslaved, according to Spinoza's proposition.