Immortality in view of Maimonides and Spinoza

Desire for immortality can be seen as the essential natural impulse. Therefore, different religions and thinkers have attempted to see the issue from different viewpoints. The great Jewish philosopher. Maimonides, due to deep fixation to Judaism, has tried to express their issues to be consistent with the Bible and his own community believes. He, in his discussion of resurrection, believed to three basic steps: The Messiah, the resurrection, and the world hereafter. His standpoint of eternity is dedicated to the hereafter. And we can be immortalized only by acting and teachings in accordance with the Bible and righteousness. Like Maimonides, Spinoza – the other Jewish philosopher - considered the immortality as Ultimate bliss through which the “immutable and eternal love of God" can be achieved. In his opinion, a person reaches this stage, when the lusts and emotions can reasonably be overcome, and also, when the power and anger and contempt and disregard others will respond with love and dignity. Thus, a man can be reached its proper perfection and immortality is reached. The difference between these two philosophers is that Maimonides believes through "actual intellect" -that is Emanation of the active intellect- can be immortalized but, for Spinoza, eternity can be reached through the adequate Ideas