Consistent with the liberal views of the Enlightenment, Leibniz was an optimist with respect to human reasoning and scientific progress. Although he was a great reader and admirer of Spinoza, Leibniz, being a confirmed deist, rejected emphatically Spinoza's pantheism.

~ Shelby D. Hunt

Shelby D. Hunt Baruch Spinoza Deism Enlightenment Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Leibniz Liberal Optimist Pantheism Progress Reasoning Scientific Progress Scientist Spinoza Views

When Maimonides says that the Messiah will come but that 'he may tarry,' we see the origin of every Jewish shrug from Spinoza to Woody Allen.

~ Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens Baruch Spinoza Irony Judaism Maimonides Messiah Woody Allen