Baruch Spinoza

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/baruch-spinoza

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Baruch Spinoza born?November 24, 1632
2. When did Baruch Spinoza die?February 21, 1677 (age 44)
3. Where was Baruch Spinoza born?Amsterdam, Dutch Republic
4. What is the career?Philosopher, lens grinder, and intellectual
5. Who was Baruch Spinoza?Baruch Spinoza was a very smart thinker from Amsterdam who lived in the 1600s. He wrote about God, nature, and how people should live.
6. Why was Spinoza kicked out of his community?He asked questions about God and the Bible that were different from what his community believed. Because of this, he was formally excommunicated in 1656.

Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and the universe.
Determinism: The philosophical belief that all events, including human actions, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will.
Biblical Criticism: The academic study of the Bible using historical and literary methods to understand its origins and meaning.
Separation of Church and State: The principle that governmental institutions should remain separate from religious institutions and authority.