The Inquiring Mind and Spinoza

A mention of Spinoza in an often reread book led to the question: why Spinoza? Why not Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle? Naming any or all of the latter philosophers would have resulted in the novel's complicated plot. Reference books shed no light on the matter. How often does a casual mention of a name dropped into a larger work elicit enough curiosity to inspire a detour into research? It seems that in life there are many more questions than there are answers.

Answers themselves are complicated. Some are facts, known to be truth at the time they are stated. Many are opinions and are as varied as there are humans. The word "opine" has recently come into the vocabulary heard and read in the media, and has been repeated often enough to give rise to the suspicion that some effort is being made to impress listeners and readers. "I think; you opine" Take your pick!

Here are some questions to be considered, perhaps answered, perhaps "opined". Have you ever come to a stop in your listening or reading and gone to a source in order to find out more about the subject? If so, do you have reference materials in your home or office which can provide answers? Would you go to a library for more information? or Google? or somewhere else? Do you have friends and acquaintances who can provide information? Do you know why the word "enhance" is often used incorrectly instead of "increase" or "improve"?

Spinoza's opinion (he opined!) that "Nature abhors a vacuum." has been taken seriously and will lead to more frequent essays on this blog.

Spinoza also said

MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL.

What do you think? Opine?