Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order is a philosophical work written by one of the most prominent philosophers of the Enlightenment period, Benedictus de Spinoza. The book was written sometime between 1661 and 1675 but was only published in 1677.
The book is broken down into five parts. Part One discusses the relationship of God with the universe; Part Two deliberates the concept of the mind and body being one and the same; Part Three details the inherent trait of preservation which drives human emotion; Part Four analyses the things that give humans pain or pleasure; and Part Five deliberates the concept of self-preservation being at the core of human actions.
Upon its release, the theory was met with heavy criticism and was placed on the Catholic Church's Index of Banned Books. Aubert de Versé condemned the work and stated “the foundations of [Spinoza's] atheism are refuted".
