Spinoza

We, the Sixth International Congress of the IHEU, representing humanists from all over the world, meeting in Amsterdam on August 5–9, 1974, wish to pay special tribute to Benedict de Spinoza. Spinoza is one of the great forerunners of humanist philosophy in modern time. A defender of intellectual and religious liberty and the free mind, he attempted to establish ethics on rational foundations independent of religious dogma. Standing as a bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern science, Spinoza was committed to the use of reason as a source of human freedom.

Spinoza was little appreciated in his own life and excommunicated from his community by religious bigotry. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam on November 24, 1632 and died in Ouwerkerk near Amsterdam on February 20, 1677. We hereby request the Dutch community to begin preparing an appropriate memorial commemorating the 300th anniversary of his death.

IHEU Congress 1974

Suggested academic reference

'Spinoza', Humanists International, World Humanist Congress, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1974