3

nally as the fullest “embodiment” of reality, existing necessarily—otherwise known as

G o d .

12

Using this foundation, Spinoza delves into the implications of God as described above in regards to the universe as an expression of God’s nature. More specifically, that God is the

immanent

cause of our universe and identifies

as

it, not

outside

of it. As was previous established, God exists as an eternal, infinite substance—self-containing and sustaining, in which all things exist, and consequently are compelled by nothing more tha n Himse lf in accor dance to H is natur e. In li ght of t his, Spi noza argue s that

13

“God act s from th e laws of h is natu re alone, and is not compel led by any thing” (I P17 ).

14

By this important observation, Spinoza concretizes an impersonal God, restricted to “do” that which is contained within His infinite nature, acting only out of necessity from per- fection. This should be distinguished that God does

not

act with volition, but instead out of

necessity

as His own first cause

or

source of being, namely Himself, compels Him

15

to do—thus God can be understood to be the efficient cause of all things as conse- quence of His nature and all occurrences are by relation

necessary

and

determined

. The two fundamental ideas that (1) God is an infinite eternal substance which composes all things and (2) by requirement of God’s own divine nature, He is compelled to enact in such a certain way and can do no other provides a metaphysical ground upon which Stoicism begins to find a rational footing. For example, Marcus Aurelius

An imperso nal God purely of n ecessity a nd substa nce—by no means “God” as t hought in the

12

Western sense. Throughout this paper God is not ever intended to be anthropomorphized in any conceivable sense. Due to the difficulty of English, no gender is intended to be implied to the idea of God, but

13

must be used heuristically for the purpose of avoiding overly complicated writing. IP17: God acts from the laws of the divine nature alone, and is not compelled by anything.

14

Unless otherwise noted, all italicized “

or

’s” are to be understood as inclusive.