The Cure for Passions According to Spinoza and George Eliot

One of the greatest philosophers of western tradition، Spinoza، in Ethics، explained the nature of passions and presented some cures for them. George Eliot، a great novelist in the nineteenth century and the translator of Spinoza’s works، was strongly influenced by Spinoza’s philosophy and of course in some cases surpassed him. In this essay، I try to explain that although in the case of cures for passions، she was influenced greatly by Spinoza; she thought differently and got rather different result. The main difference between them about this issue is an important one. It opens the way to freedom which Spinoza’s philosophy has found it very difficult to pass. I will explain their views according to Spinoza’s Ethics and the Lifted Veil of Eliot. Spinoza thought that the attaining to intuitive knowledge and intellectual love of God is the main cure for passions and the way to freedom. However، it seems Eliot did not accept it and presented another explanation.