本书是荷兰哲学家斯宾诺莎生前唯一用自己的名字出版的著作，全书包括两篇著作，即《笛卡尔哲学原理》和《形而上学思想》。前者用几何学方法陈述笛卡尔的哲学思想，后者是论述形而上学问题(存在物、上帝、灵魂等等)的札记。

Published shortly after his death in 1677, Ethics is undoubtedly Spinoza’s greatest work—a fully cohesive philosophical system that strives to provide a coherent picture of reality and to comprehend the meaning of an ethical life. Following a logical step-by-step format, it defines in turn the nature of God, the mind, human bondage to the emotions, and the power of understanding, moving from a consideration of the eternal to speculate upon humanity’s place in the natural order, freedom, and the path to attainable happiness. A powerful work of elegant simplicity, Ethics is a brilliantly insightful consideration of the possibility of redemption through intense thought and philosophical reflection.