“A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, and his wisdom is a meditation on life, not on death.”Baruch Spinoza · Etica · 1677 · Etica, Partea a IV-a, propoziția 67
Wisdom is the active focus on cultivating life, not the passive withdrawal from the fear of death.
Spinoza defines freedom as action according to reason, and the free person is not obsessed with the end. Meditating on life means cultivating virtues, knowledge, and joy, not preparing for death. For instance, someone who spends time learning and loving truly lives, unlike one paralyzed by the fear of death.
Spinoza says that fearing death means living under a sad passion. When you worry excessively about the end, you no longer act freely but become a slave to fear. For instance, postponing a walk in the park for fear of a hypothetical accident robs you of present joy. Instead of fleeing death, you can choose to strengthen your power to act. How do you do that every day?
Why it matters It reminds us to focus on the quality of the present, not on anxiety about the inevitable future.