text:
Baruch Spinoza
From Wikiquote
(Redirected from Benedict Spinoza)
Benedictus de Spinoza (24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677) was a social and metaphysical philosopher famous for the elaborate development of his monist philosophy, which has become known as Spinozism. Controversy regarding his ideas led to his excommunication from the Jewish community of his native Amsterdam. He was named Baruch ("blessed" in Hebrew) Spinoza by his synagogue elders and known as Bento de Spinoza or Bento d'Espiñoza, but afterwards used the name Benedictus ("blessed" in Latin) de Spinoza.
- See also: Ethics Geometrically Demonstrated (1677)
- When you say that if I deny, that the operations of seeing, hearing, attending, wishing, &c., can be ascribed to God, or that they exist in him in any eminent fashion, you do not know what sort of God mine is ; I suspect that you believe there is no greater perfection than such as can be explained by the aforesaid attributes. I am not astonished ; for I believe that, if a triangle could speak, it would say, in like manner, that God is eminently triangular, while a circle would say that the divine nature is eminently circular. Thus each would ascribe to God its own attributes, would assume itself to be like God, and look on everything else as ill-shaped.
The briefness of a letter and want of time do not allow me to enter into my opinion on the divine nature, or the questions you have propounded. Besides, suggesting difficulties is not the same as producing reasons. That we do many things in the world from conjecture is true, but that our redactions are based on conjecture is false. In practical life we are compelled to follow what is most probable ; in speculative thought we are compelled to follow truth. A man would perish of hunger and thirst, if he refused to eat or drink, till he had obtained positive proof that food and drink would be good for him. But in philosophic reflection this is not so. On the contrary, we must take care not to admit as true anything, which is only probable. For when one falsity has been let in, infinite others follow.
Again, we cannot infer that because sciences of things divine and human are full of controversies and quarrels, therefore their whole subject-matter is uncertain ; for there have been many persons so enamoured of contradiction, as to turn into ridicule geometrical axioms.
- My opinion concerning God differs widely from that which is ordinarily defended by modern Christians. For I hold that God is of all things the cause immanent, as the phrase is, not transient. I say that all things are in God and move in God, thus agreeing with Paul, and, perhaps, with all the ancient philosophers, though the phraseology may be different ; I will even venture to affirm that I agree with all the ancient Hebrews, in so far as one may judge from their traditions, though these are in many ways corrupted. The supposition of some, that I endeavour to prove in the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus the unity of God and Nature (meaning by the latter a certain mass or corporeal matter), is wholly erroneous.
As regards miracles, I am of opinion that the revelation of God can only be established by the wisdom of the doctrine, not by miracles, or in other words by ignorance.
- I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge; this, I take it, is the reason why Christians are distinguished from the rest of the world, not by faith, nor by charity, nor by the other fruits of the Holy Spirit, but solely by their opinions, inasmuch as they defend their cause, like everyone else, by miracles, that is by ignorance, which is the source of all malice; thus they turn a faith, which may be true, into superstition.
- Letter 21 (73) to Henry Oldenburg , November (1675)
- I do not think it necessary for salvation to know Christ according to the flesh : but with regard to the Eternal Son of God, that is the Eternal Wisdom of God, which has manifested itself in all things and especially in the human mind, and above all in Christ Jesus, the case is far otherwise. For without this no one can come to a state of blessedness, inasmuch as it alone teaches, what is true or false, good or evil. And, inasmuch as this wisdom was made especially manifest through Jesus Christ, as I have said, his disciples preached it, in so far as it was revealed to them through him, and thus showed that they could rejoice in that spirit of Christ more than the rest of mankind. The doctrines added by certain churches, such as that God took upon himself human nature, I have expressly said that I do not understand; in fact, to speak the truth, they seem to me no less absurd than would a statement, that a circle had taken upon itself the nature of a square. This I think will be sufficient explanation of my opinions concerning the three points mentioned. Whether it will be satisfactory to Christians you will know better than I.
- Letter 21 (73) to Henry Oldenburg , November (1675)
- Variant translation: The eternal wisdom of God … has shown itself forth in all things, but chiefly in the mind of man, and most of all in Jesus Christ.
- You seem to wish to employ reason, and ask me, "How I know that my philosophy is the best among all that have ever been taught in the world, or are being taught, or ever will be taught?" a question which I might with much greater right ask you ; for I do not presume that I have found the best philosophy, I know that I understand the true philosophy. If you ask in what way I know it, I answer: In the same way as you know that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles: that this is sufficient, will be denied by no one whose brain is sound, and who does not go dreaming of evil spirits inspiring us with false ideas like the true. For the truth is the index of itself and of what is false.
But you, who presume that you have at last found the best religion, or rather the best men, on whom you have pinned your credulity, you, "who know that they are the best among all who have taught, do now teach, or shall in future teach other religions. Have you examined all religions, ancient as well as modern, taught here and in India and everywhere throughout the world? And, if you, have duly examined them, how do you know that you have chosen the best" since you can give no reason for the faith that is in you? But you will say, that you acquiesce in the inward testimony of the Spirit of God, while the rest of mankind are ensnared and deceived by the prince of evil spirits. But all those outside the pale of the Romish Church can with equal right proclaim of their own creed what you proclaim of yours.
As to what you add of the common consent of myriads of men and the uninterrupted ecclesiastical succession, this is the very catch-word of the Pharisees. They with no less confidence than the devotees of Rome bring forward their myriad witnesses, who as pertinaciously as the Roman witnesses repeat what they have heard, as though it were their personal experience. Further, they carry back their line to Adam. They boast with equal arrogance, that their Church has continued to this day unmoved and unimpaired in spite of the hatred of Christians and heathen. They more than any other sect are supported by antiquity. They exclaim with one voice, that they have received their traditions from God himself, and that they alone preserve the word of God, both written and unwritten. That all heresies have issued from them, and that they have remained constant through thousands of years under no constraint of temporal dominion, but by the sole efficacy of their superstition, no one can deny. The miracles they tell of would tire a thousand tongues. But their chief boast is that they count a far greater number of martyrs than any other nation, a number which is daily increased by those who suffer with singular constancy for the faith they profess; nor is their boasting false. I myself knew among others of a certain Judah called the faithful, who in the midst of the flames, when he was already thought to be dead, lifted his voice to sing the hymn beginning, "To thee, o God, I offer up my soul", and so singing perished.
- Nature is satisfied with little; and if she is, I am also.
- As quoted in The Story of Philosophy (1933) by Will Durant, p. 176
- Of all the things that are beyond my power, I value nothing more highly than to be allowed the honor of entering into bonds of friendship with people who sincerely love truth. For, of things beyond our power, I believe there is nothing in the world which we can love with tranquility except such men.
- Spinoza, Correspondence, 146, Letter xix.
On the Improvement of the Understanding (1662)[edit]
- The ordinary surroundings of life which are esteemed by men (as their actions testify) to be the highest good, may be classed under the three heads — Riches, Fame, and the Pleasures of Sense: with these three the mind is so absorbed that it has little power to reflect on any different good.
- Pt. I, 3
- Variant translation: The things which … are esteemed as the greatest good of all … can be reduced to these three headings, to wit : Riches, Fame, and Pleasure. With these three the mind is so engrossed that it cannot scarcely think of any other good.
- A definition, if it is to be called perfect, must explain the inmost essence of a thing, and must take care not to substitute for this any of its properties. In order to illustrate my meaning, without taking an example which would seem to show a desire to expose other people's errors, I will choose the case of something abstract, the definition of which is of little moment. Such is a circle. If a circle be defined as a figure, such that all straight lines drawn from the center to the circumference are equal, every one can see that such a definition does not in the least explain the essence of a circle, but solely one of its properties. Though, as I have said, this is of no importance in the case of figures and other abstractions, it is of great importance in the case of physical beings and realities, for the properties of things are not understood so long as their essences are unknown. If the latter be passed over, there is necessarily a perversion of the succession of ideas which should reflect the succession of nature, and we go far astray from our object.
Theological-Political Treatise (1670)[edit]
- (1) Men would never be superstitious, if they could govern all their circumstances by set rules, or if they were always favoured by fortune : but being frequently driven into straits where rules are useless, and being often kept fluctuating pitiably between hope and fear by the uncertainty of fortune's greedily coveted favours, they are consequently, for the most part, very prone to credulity.
(2) The human mind is readily swayed this way or that in times of doubt, especially when hope and fear are struggling for the mastery, though usually it is boastful, over-confident, and vain.
(3) This as a general fact I suppose everyone knows, though few, I believe, know their own nature ; no one can have lived in the world without observing that most people, when in prosperity, are so over-brimming with wisdom (however inexperienced they may be), that they take every offer of advice as a personal insult, whereas in adversity they know not where to turn, but beg and pray for counsel from every passer-by.
(4) No plan is then too futile, too absurd, or too fatuous for their adoption ; the most frivolous causes will raise them to hope, or plunge them into despair — if anything happens during their fright which reminds them of some past good or ill, they think it portends a happy or unhappy issue, and therefore (though it may have proved abortive a hundred times before) style it a lucky or unlucky omen.
(5) Anything which excites their astonishment they believe to be a portent signifying the anger of the gods or of the Supreme Being, and, mistaking superstition for religion, account it impious not to avert the evil with prayer and sacrifice.
(6) Signs and wonders of this sort they conjure up perpetually, till one might think Nature as mad as themselves, they interpret her so fantastically.
(7) Thus it is brought prominently before us, that superstition's chief victims are those persons who greedily covet temporal advantages; they it is, who (especially when they are in danger, and cannot help themselves) are wont with Prayers and womanish tears to implore help from God : upbraiding Reason as blind, because she cannot show a sure path to the shadows they pursue, and rejecting human wisdom as vain ; but believing the phantoms of imagination, dreams, and other childish absurdities, to be the very oracles of Heaven.
(8) As though God had turned away from the wise, and written his decrees, not in the mind of man but in the entrails of beasts, or left them to be proclaimed by the inspiration and instinct of fools, madmen, and birds. Such is the unreason to which terror can drive mankind!
(9) Superstition, then, is engendered, preserved, and fostered by fear.- Preface
- As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray may move another to scoff, I conclude … that everyone should be free to choose for himself the foundations of his creed, and that faith should be judged only by its fruits; each would then obey God freely with his whole heart, while nothing would be publicly honoured save justice and charity.
- Preface
- Prophecy really includes ordinary knowledge; for the knowledge which we acquire by our natural faculties depends on knowledge of God and his eternal laws ; but ordinary knowledge is common to all men as men, and rests on foundations which all share, whereas the multitude always strains after rarities and exceptions, and thinks little of the gifts of nature ; so that, when prophecy is talked of, ordinary knowledge is not supposed to be included.
Nevertheless, it has as much right as any other to be called divine, for God's nature, in so far as we share therein, and God's laws, dictate it to us; nor does it suffer from that to which we give the preeminence, except in so far as the latter transcends its limits and cannot be accounted for by natural laws taken in themselves.- Ch. 1, Of Prophecy
- I do not believe anyone has reached such perfection, surpassing all others, except Christ, to whom God immediately revealed — without words or visions — the conditions which lead to salvation. So God revealed himself to the Apostles through Christ's mind, as formerly he had revealed himself to Moses by means of a heavenly voice. And therefore Christ's voice, like the one Moses heard, can be called the voice of God. And in this sense we can also say that God's wisdom, that is, a wisdom, surpassing human wisdom, assumed a human nature in Christ, and that Christ was the way to salvation.
- Ch. 1, Of Prophecy from Benedictus de Spinoza Opera by Carl Gebhardt, ed. (Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1925) vol. III, p. 21 as trans. by Edwin Curley, ed., A Spinoza Reader: The Ethics and Other Works/Benedict de Spinoza (Princeton NJ: Princeton UP, 1994) p. 14.
- When, the prophets, in speaking of this election which regards only true virtue, mixed up much concerning sacrifices and ceremonies, and the rebuilding of the temple and city, they wished by such figurative expressions, after the manner and nature of prophecy, to expound matters spiritual, so as at the same time to show to the Jews, whose prophets they were, the true restoration of the state and of the temple to be expected about the time of Cyrus.
At the present time, therefore, there is absolutely nothing which the Jews can arrogate to themselves beyond other people.
As to their continuance so long after dispersion and the loss of empire, there is nothing marvellous in it, for they so separated themselves from every other nation as to draw down upon themselves universal hate, not only by their outward rites, rites conflicting with those of other nations, but also by the sign of circumcision which they most scrupulously observe.
That they have been preserved in great measure by Gentile hatred, experience demonstrates.- Ch. 3, Of the Vocation of the Hebrews, and Whether the Gift of Prophecy Was Peculiar to Them
- Variant translation: Therefore at the present time there is nothing whatsoever that the Jews can arrogate to themselves above other nations. As to their continued existence for so many years when scattered and stateless, this is in no way surprising, since they have separated themselves from other nations to such a degree as to incur the hatred of all, and this not only through external rites alien to the rites of other nations but also through the mark of circumcision, which they most religiously observe. That they are preserved largely through the hatred of other nations is demonstrated by historical fact.
- As translated by Samuel Shirley
- Variant translation: Therefore at the present time there is nothing whatsoever that the Jews can arrogate to themselves above other nations. As to their continued existence for so many years when scattered and stateless, this is in no way surprising, since they have separated themselves from other nations to such a degree as to incur the hatred of all, and this not only through external rites alien to the rites of other nations but also through the mark of circumcision, which they most religiously observe. That they are preserved largely through the hatred of other nations is demonstrated by historical fact.
- In regard to intellect and true virtue, every nation is on a par with the rest, and God has not in these respects chosen one people rather than another.
- Ch. 3, Of the Vocation of the Hebrews, and Whether the Gift of Prophecy Was Peculiar to Them
- The ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain, by fear, nor to exact obedience, but, contrariwise, to free every man from fear, that he may live in all possible security ; in other words, to strengthen his natural right to exist and work without injury to himself or others.
No, the object of government is not to change men from rational beings into beasts or puppets, but to enable them to develop their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled ; neither showing hatred, anger, or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy and injustice. In fact, the true aim of government is liberty.- Ch. 20, That In a Free State Every Man May Think What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks
- Variant translation: The last end of the state is not to dominate men, nor to restrain them by fear ; rather it is so to free each man from fear that he may live and act with full security and without injury to himself or his neighbor. The end of the state, I repeat, is not to make rational beings into brute beasts and machines. It is to enable their bodies and their minds to function safely. It is to lead men to live by, and to exercise, a free reason ; that they may not waste their strength in hatred, anger and guile, nor act unfairly toward one another. Thus the end of the state is really liberty.
- If men's minds were as easily controlled as their tongues, every king would sit safely on his throne, and government by compulsion would cease ; for every subject would shape his life according to the intentions of his rulers, and would esteem a thing true or false, good or evil, just or unjust, in obedience to their dictates.
- Ch. 20
- The more a government strives to curtail freedom of speech, the more obstinately is it resisted ; not indeed by the avaricious, … but by those whom good education, sound morality, and virtue have rendered more free. Men, in general, are so constituted that there is nothing they will endure with so little patience as that views which they believe to be true should be counted crimes against the laws. … Under such circumstances they do not think it disgraceful, but most honorable, to hold the laws in abhorrence, and to refrain from no action against the government.
- Ch. 20, That In a Free State Every Man May Think What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks
- Schisms do not originate in a love of truth, which is a source of courtesy and gentleness, but rather in an inordinate desire for supremacy. From all these considerations it is clearer than the Sun at noonday, that the true schismatics are those who condemn other men's writings, and seditiously stir up the quarrelsome masses against their authors, rather than those authors themselves, who generally write only for the learned, and appeal solely to reason. In fact, the real disturbers of the peace are those who, in a free state, seek to curtail the liberty of judgment which they are unable to tyrannize over.
- Ch. 20, That In a Free State Every Man May Think What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks
- The safest way for a state is to lay down the rule that religion is comprised solely in the exercise of charity and justice, and that the rights of rulers in sacred, no less than in secular matters, should merely have to do with actions, but that every man should think what he likes and say what he thinks.
- Ch. 20, That In a Free State Every Man May Think What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks
Ethics (1677)[edit]
- Deus est omnium rerum causa immanens, non vero transiens
- God is the Immanent Cause of all things, never truly transcendent from them
- Part I, Prop. XVIII
- [B]y Natura naturans we must understand what is in itself and is conceived through itself, or such attributes of substance as express an eternal and infinite essence, that is … God, insofar as he is considered as a free cause.
But by Natura naturata I understand whatever follows from the necessity of God's nature, or from God's attributes, that is, all the modes of God's attributes insofar as they are considered as things which are in God, and can neither be nor be conceived without God.- Part I, Prop. XXIX, Scholium (trans: Edwin Curley, London: Penguin, 1996)
- Ordo et connexio idearum idem est ac ordo et connexio rerum
- The order and connection of the thought is identical to with the order and connection of the things.
- Part II, Prop. VII
- veritas norma sui et falsi est
- Truth is a standard both of itself and of falsity
- Part II, Prop. XLIII, Scholium
- Hic conatus aliquid agendi et etiam omittendi ea sola de causa ut hominibus placeamus, vocatur ambitio præsertim quando adeo impense vulgo placere conamur ut cum nostro aut alterius damno quædam agamus vel omittamus; alias humanitas appellari solet.
- This endeavour to do a thing or leave it undone, solely in order to please men, we call ambition, especially when we so eagerly endeavour to please the vulgar, that we do or omit certain things to our own or another's hurt : in other cases it is generally called kindliness.
- Part III, Prop. XXIX
- meum institutum non est verborum significationem sed rerum naturam explicare
- My purpose is to explain, not the meaning of words, but the nature of things.
- Part III, Def. XX
- Deus seu Natura
- God or Nature
- Part IV, Preface (Deum seu Naturam, Deus seu Natura);
- Maxima superbia vel abjectio est maxima sui ignorantia.
- Extreme pride or dejection indicates extreme ignorance of self.
- Part IV, Prop. LV
- Homo liber de nulla re minus, quam de morte cogitat, et ejus sapientia non mortis, sed vitae meditatio est.
- A free man thinks of death least of all things; and his wisdom is a meditation not of death but of life.
- Part IV, Prop. LXVII
- We feel and know that we are eternal.
- Part V, Prop. XXIII
- sub specie aeternitatis
- ...from the perspective of the eternal.
- Part V, Prop. XXIII, Scholium
- How would it be possible, if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labour be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
- Part V, closing note
Political Treatise (1677)[edit]
- Tractatus Politicus as translated by A. H. Gosset (1883); full text online; this is an unfinished work, left incomplete by Spinoza's death
- Philosophers conceive of the passions which harass us as vices into which men fall by their own fault, and, therefore, generally deride, bewail, or blame them, or execrate them, if they wish to seem unusually pious. And so they think they are doing something wonderful, and reaching the pinnacle of learning, when they are clever enough to bestow manifold praise on such human nature, as is nowhere to be found, and to make verbal attacks on that which, in fact, exists. For they conceive of men, not as they are, but as they themselves would like them to be. Whence it has come to pass that, instead of ethics, they have generally written satire, and that they have never conceived a theory of politics, which could be turned to use, but such as might be taken for a chimera, or might have been formed in Utopia, or in that golden age of the poets when, to be sure, there was least need of it. Accordingly, as in all sciences, which have a useful application, so especially in that of politics, theory is supposed to be at variance with practice ; and no men are esteemed less fit to direct public affairs than theorists or philosophers.
- Ch. 1, Introduction
- I have resolved to demonstrate by a certain and undoubted course of argument, or to deduce from the very condition of human nature, not what is new and unheard of, but only such things as agree best with practice.
- Ch. 1, Introduction
- I have laboured carefully, not to mock, lament, or execrate, but to understand human actions ; and, to this end, I have looked upon passions, such as love, hatred, anger, envy, ambition, pity, and the other perturbations of the mind, not in the light of vices of human nature, but as properties, just as pertinent to it, as are heat, cold, storm, thunder, and the like to the nature of the atmosphere, which phenomena, though inconvenient, are yet necessary, and have fixed causes, by means of which we endeavour to understand their nature, and the mind has just as much pleasure in viewing them aright, as in knowing such things as flatter the senses
- Ch. 1, Introduction
- Variant translation: I have laboured carefully, not to mock, lament, or execrate human actions, but to understand them.
- Speaking generally, he holds dominion, to whom are entrusted by common consent affairs of state — such as the laying down, interpretation, and abrogation of laws, the fortification of cities, deciding on war and peace, &c. But if this charge belong to a council, composed of the general multitude, then the dominion is called a democracy ; if the council be composed of certain chosen persons, then it is an aristocracy ; and, if, lastly, the care of affairs of state, and, consequently, the dominion rest with one man, then it has the name of monarchy.
- Ch. 2, Of Natural Right
- Man can, indeed, act contrarily to the decrees of God, as far as they have been written like laws in the minds of ourselves or the prophets, but against that eternal decree of God, which is written in universal nature, and has regard to the course of nature as a whole, he can do nothing.
- Ch. 2, Of Natural Right
- In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible ; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another. For no one by the law of nature is bound to please another, unless he chooses, nor to hold anything to be good or evil, but what he himself, according to his own temperament, pronounces to be so ; and, to speak generally, nothing is forbidden by the law of nature, except what is beyond everyone's power.
- Ch. 2, Of Natural Right
- Nature offers nothing that can be called this man's rather than another's ; but, under nature, everything belongs to all — that is, they have authority to claim it for themselves. But, under dominion, where it is by common law determined what belongs to this man, and what to that, he is called just who has a constant will to render to every man his own, but he, unjust who strives, on the contrary, to make his own that which belongs to another.
- Ch. 2, Of Natural Right
- Of a commonwealth, whose subjects are but hindered by terror from taking arms, it should rather be said, that it is free from war, than that it has peace. For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from force of character : for obedience is the constant will to execute what, by the general decree of the commonwealth, ought to be done. Besides, that commonwealth, whose peace depends on the sluggishness of its subjects, that are led about like sheep, to learn but slavery, may more properly be called a desert than a commonwealth.
- Ch. 5, Of the Best State of a Dominion
- This might be paraphrased in a similar statement quoted in recent works, including A Natural History of Peace (1996) by Thomas Gregor, p. 4, there cited as being from Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (1670), but without citations as to chapter or translation used : Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.
- If slavery, barbarism and desolation are to be called peace, men can have no worse misfortune. No doubt there are usually more and sharper quarrels between parents and children, than between masters and slaves ; yet it advances not the art of household management to change a father's right into a right of property, and count children but as slaves. Slavery, then, and not peace, is furthered by handing the whole authority to one man.
- Ch. 6, On Monarchy
- He who seeks equality between unequals seeks an absurdity.
- Ch. 9, Of Aristocracy, Continuation
- All laws which can be broken without any injury to another, are counted but a laughing-stock, and are so far from bridling the desires and lusts of men, that on the contrary they stimulate them.
- Ch. 10, Of Aristocracy, Conclusion
- Variant translation : Laws which can be broken without any wrong to one's neighbor are but a laughing-stoke ; and, so far from such laws restraining the appetites and lusts of mankind, they rather heighten them.
- Variant: All laws which can be violated without doing any one any injury are laughed at. Nay, so far are they from doing anything to control the desires and passions of men, that, on the contrary, they direct and incite men's thoughts the more toward those very objects, for we always strive toward what is forbidden and desire the things we are not allowed to have. And men of leisure are never deficient in the ingenuity needed to enable them to outwit laws framed to regulate things which cannot be entirely forbidden... He who tries to determine everything by law will foment crime rather than lessen it.
- I pass, at length, to the third and perfectly absolute dominion, which we call democracy.
- Ch. 11, Of Democracy
- We can conceive of various kinds of democracy. But my intention is not to treat of every kind, but of that only, "wherein all, without exception, who owe allegiance to the laws of the country only, and are further independent and of respectable life, have the right of voting in the supreme council and of filling the offices of the dominion."
- Ch. 11, Of Democracy
Quotations regarding Spinoza[edit]
- Alphabetized by author
- Time carries him as the river carries
A leaf in the downstream water.
No matter. The enchanted one insists
And shapes God with delicate geometry.
Since his illness, since his birth,
He goes on constructing God with the word.
The mightiest love was granted him
Love that does not expect to be loved.- "Baruch Spinoza" by Jorge Luis Borges, as translated in Spinoza and Other Heretics: The Marrano of Reason (1989) by Yirmiyahu Yovel
- Of Bruno, as of Spinoza, it may be said that he was "God-intoxicated." He felt that the Divine Excellence had its abode in the very heart of Nature and within his own body and spirit. Indwelling in every dewdrop as in the innumerable host of heaven, in the humblest flower and in the mind of man, he found the living spirit of God, setting forth the Divine glory, making the Divine perfection and inspiring with the Divine love.
- William Boulting, in Giordano Bruno: His Life, Thought, and Martyrdom (1916) online excerpt
- Spinoza is, for me, the prince of philosophers.
- Gilles Deleuze, Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza (cited in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- Spinoza: the absolute philosopher, whose Ethics is the foremost book on concepts.
- Gilles Deleuze, Negotiations (cited in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- Spinoza is the Christ of philosophers, and the greatest philosophers are hardly more than apostles who distance themselves from or draw near to this mystery.
- Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, What is Philosophy? (cited in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
- "Spinoza did not seek to found a sect, and he founded none" ; yet all philosophy after him is permeated with his thought.
- Will Durant, beginning with a quote of Sir Frederick Pollock in Life and Philosophy of Spinoza (1899)
- How much do I love that noble man
More than I could tell with words
I fear though he'll remain alone
With a holy halo of his own.- Albert Einstein, in "Zu Spinozas Ethik" (1920), a poem written in admiration of Spinoza, as quoted in Einstein and Religion (1999) by Max Jammer "Einstein's Poem on Spinoza" (with scans of original German manuscript) at Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
- I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.
- Albert Einstein, in response the telegrammed question of New York's Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein in (24 April 1929) ; he later expanded on his comments about Spinoza's and his own ideas on religion elsewhere : "I can understand your aversion to the use of the term "religion" to describe an emotional and psychological attitude which shows itself most clearly in Spinoza … I have not found a better expression than "religious" for the trust in the rational nature of reality that is, at least to a certain extent, accessible to human reason." — as quoted in Einstein : Science and Religion by Arnold V. Lesikar
- The religious geniuses of all ages have been distinguished by this kind of religious feeling, which knows no dogma and no God conceived in man's image ; so that there can be no church whose central teachings are based on it. Hence it is precisely among the heretics of every age that we find men who were filled with this highest kind of religious feeling and were in many cases regarded by their contemporaries as atheists, sometimes also as saints. Looked at in this light, men like Democritus, Francis of Assisi, and Spinoza are closely akin to one another.
- Spinoza formulated the problem of the socially patterned defect very clearly. He says: "Many people are seized by one and the same affect with great consistency. All his senses are so strongly affected by one object that he believes this object to be present even if it is not. If this happens while the person is awake, the person is believed to be insane. … But if the greedy person thinks only of money and possessions, the ambitious one only of fame, one does not think of them as being insane, but only as annoying ; generally one has contempt for them. But factually greediness, ambition, and so forth are forms of insanity, although usually one does not think of them as 'illness.'" These words were written a few hundred years ago ; they still hold true, although the defects have been culturally patterned to such an extent now that they are not even generally thought any more to be annoying or contemptible.
- Erich Fromm, in The Sane Society (1955), Ch. 2: Can A Society be Sick?—The Pathology of Normalcy
- These distinctions make sense only when AR [absolute perfection in some respects, relative perfection in all others] is assumed (hence Spinoza's failure, who assumed mere A). Just as AR is the whole positive content of perfection, so CW, or the conception of the Creator-and-the-Whole-of-what-he-has-created as constituting one life, the super-whole which in its everlasting essence is uncreated (and does not necessitate just the parts which the whole has) but in its de facto concreteness is created — this panentheistic doctrine contains all of deism and pandeism except their arbitrary negations. Thus ARCW, or absolute-relative panentheism, is the one doctrine that really states the whole of what all theists, if not all atheists as/well, are implicitly talking about.
- Charles Hartshorne, in Man's Vision of God and the Logic of Theism (1964) ISBN 020800498X p. 348
- This Idea of Spinoza's we must allow to be in the main true and well-grounded; absolute substance is the truth, but it is not the whole truth ; in order to be this, it must also be thought of as in itself active and living, and by that very means it must determine itself as mind. But substance with Spinoza is only the universal and consequently the abstract determination of mind ; it may undoubtedly be said that this thought is the foundation of all true views — not, however, as their absolutely fixed and permanent basis, but as the abstract unity which mind is in itself. It is therefore worthy of note that thought must begin by placing itself at the standpoint of Spinozism; to be a follower of Spinoza is the essential commencement of all Philosophy. For as we saw above … when man begins to philosophize, the soul must commence by bathing in this ether of the One Substance, in which all that man has held as true has disappeared ; this negation of all that is particular, to which every philosopher must have come, is the liberation of the mind and its absolute foundation.
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, comparing Spinoza's philosophy to that of the Eleatics, in Lectures on the History of Philosophy (1896), Vol. 3, Ch. I : The Metaphysics of the Understanding, § 2 : Spinoza, p. 257
- The fact is that Spinoza is made a testing-point in modern philosophy, so that it may really be said: You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all.
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, in Lectures on the History of Philosophy (1896), Vol. 3, Ch. I : The Metaphysics of the Understanding, § 2 : Spinoza, p. 283
- I assert, that the doctrine of the immateriality, simplicity, and indivisibility of a thinking substance is a true atheism, and will serve to justify all those sentiments, for which Spinoza is so universally infamous. From this topic, I hope at least to reap one advantage, that my adversaries will not have any pretext to render the present doctrine odious by their declamations, when they see that they can be so easily retorted on them.
- David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature
- The fundamental principle of the atheism of Spinoza is the doctrine of the simplicity of the universe, and the unity of that substance, in which he supposes both thought and matter to inhere. There is only one substance, says he, in the world; and that substance is perfectly simple and indivisible, and exists every where, without any local presence. Whatever we discover externally by sensation; whatever we feel internally by reflection; all these are nothing but modifications of that one, simple, and necessarily existent being, and are not possest of any separate or distinct existence. Every passion of the soul; every configuration of matter, however different and various, inhere in the same substance, and preserve in themselves their characters of distinction, without communicating them to that subject, in which they inhere.
- David Hume, A Treaties of Human Nature
- Through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Bruno's ideas were widely imparted, borrowed, sounded ; almost never, though, with the name Giordano Bruno attached to them. Kepler once chided Galileo for omitting his debt to Bruno ; yet, we can discern Kepler's own indifference … Later generations would evoke Bruno's writings to the phrase, without quoting or acknowledging him. Recent scholarship on Spinoza, for example, cites Bruno's powerful exertion on his thought about infinity and on his style. Never does Spinoza cite Bruno by name.
- Bill Kuhns, on the dangers to Spinoza and others, of citing Giordano Bruno as an influence, after his execution as a heretic, in "Giordano Bruno and Marshall McLuhan" in McLuhan Studies Issue 2 (1996)
- Descartes... fell back on his original confusion of matter with space—space being, according to him, the only form of substance, and all existing things but affections of space. This error... forms one of the ultimate foundations of the system of Spinoza.
- James Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion (1876)
- It was not until the Twelfth Century of our era that the Pentateuch as a whole was subjected to rational scrutiny. The man who undertook the ungrateful task was a learned Spanish rabbi, Abraham ben Meir ibn Esra. He unearthed many absurdities, but... it was not until five hundred years later that anything properly describable as scientific criticism... came into being. Its earliest shining lights were the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes [with his Leviathan], and the Amsterdam Jew, Baruch Spinoza. Spinoza's "Tractatus Theologico-politicus", published in 1670, made the first really formidable onslaught upon the inspired inerrancy of the Pentateuch. It called attention to scores of transparent imbecilities … including a dozen or more palpable geographical and historical impossibilities … The answer of constituted authorities was to suppress the "Tractatus", but enough copies got out to reach the proper persons, and ever since then the Old Testament has been under searching and devastating examination.
- H. L. Mencken, Treatise on the Gods (1930)
- I am utterly amazed, utterly enchanted! I have a precursor, and what a precursor! I hardly knew Spinoza : that I should have turned to him just now, was inspired by "instinct". Not only is his overtendency like mine — namely, to make all knowledge the most powerful affect — but in five main points of his doctrine I recognize myself ; this most unusual and loneliest thinker is closest to me precisely in these matters : he denies the freedom of the will, teleology, the moral world-order, the unegoistic, and evil. Even though the divergencies are admittedly tremendous, they are due more to the difference in time, culture, and science. In summa: my lonesomeness, which, as on very high mountains, often made it hard for me to breathe and make my blood rush out, is now at least a twosomeness. Strange!
- Friedrich Nietzsche, in a postcard to Franz Overbeck, Sils-Maria (30 July 1881) as translated by Walter Kaufmann in The Portable Nietzsche (1954)
- Ein Gottbetrunkener Mensch
- A God-intoxicated man.
- Novalis, as quoted in Novalis (1829) by Thomas Carlyle: "Spinoza is a God-intoxicated man (Gott-trunkenet Mensch)."
- A God-intoxicated man.
- Woe to him who in passing should hurl an insult at this gentle and pensive head. He would be punished, as all vulgar souls are punished, by his very vulgarity, and by his incapacity to conceive what is divine. This man, from his granite pedestal, will point out to all men the way of blessedness which he found; and ages hence, the cultivated traveler, passing by this spot, will say in his heart, "The truest vision ever had of God came, perhaps, here."
- Ernest Renan, at the dedication of a statue to Spinoza in 1882, as quoted in The Story of Philosophy (1962) by Will Durant
- SPINOZA (1634-77) is the noblest and most lovable of the great philosophers. Intellectually, some others have surpassed him, but ethically he is supreme.
- Bertrand Russell, in The History of Western Philosophy, Ch. X, p. 569
- My atheism, like that of Spinoza, is true piety toward the universe and denies only gods fashioned by men in their own image, to be servants of their human interests.
- George Santayana, in "On My Friendly Critics", in Soliloquies in England (1922)
- [From Schopenhauer's assessments of other philosophers] Bruno and Spinoza are to be entirely excepted. Each stands by himself and alone; and they do not belong either to their age or to their part of the globe, which rewarded the one with death, and the other with persecution and ignominy. Their miserable existence and death in this Western world are like that of a tropical plant in Europe. The banks of the Ganges were their spiritual home ; there, they would have led a peaceful and honoured life among men of like mind.
- Arthur Schopenhauer, in The World as Will and Representation (1818; 1844), Vol. I, p. 422, n. 2
- Of all heroes, Spinoza was Einstein's greatest. No one expressed more strongly than he a belief in the harmony, the beauty, and, most of all, the ultimate comprehensibility of nature.
- John Archibald Wheeler, in "Albert Einstein in Biographical Memoirs Vol. 51, by the National Academy of Sciences
- With the judgment of the angels and the sentence of the saints, we anathematize, execrate, curse and cast out Baruch de Espinoza, the whole of the sacred community assenting, in presence of the sacred books with the six-hundred-and-thirteen precepts written therein, pronouncing against him the malediction wherewith Elisha cursed the children, and all the maledictions written in the Book of the Law. Let him be accursed by day, and accursed by night ; let him be accursed in his lying down, and accursed in his rising up ; accursed in going out and accursed in coming in. May the Lord never more pardon or acknowledge him ; may the wrath and displeasure of the Lord burn henceforth against this man, load him with all the curses written in the Book of the Law, and blot out his name from under the sky ; may the Lord sever him from all the tribes of Israel, weight him with all the maledictions of the firmament contained in the Book of Law ; and may all ye who are obedient to the Lord your God be saved this day.
Hereby then are all admonished that none hold converse with him by word of mouth, none hold communication with him by writing ; that no one do him any service, no one abide under the same roof with him, no one approach within four cubits' length of him, and no one read any document dictated by him, or written by his hand.- Rite of expulsion from the Jewish community, as translated in Benedict de Spinoza : His Life, Correspondence, and Ethics (1870) by Robert Willis
External links[edit]
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Spinoza
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
- The Story of Philosophy (1962) by Will Durant, Ch. IV, Spinoza
- Article in The Jewish Encyclopedia
- Article in The Catholic Encyclopedia
- Immortality in Spinoza
- BBC Radio 4 In Our Time - Spinoza
- "Spinoza: Mind of the Modern"
- Refutation of Spinoza by Leibniz
- Spinoza Museum in Rijnsburg


text:
Exciting stuff is on the way
Coming in ...
Read a few words about Rachelle Chase +
Rachelle Chase is an award-winning romance author, business consultant, speaker, and model.
She is currently working on two new novels, both of which will be released in 2015. Her published works include a novella in MEN ON FIRE, an anthology featuring hunky firefighters that was published by Kensington Publishing; SEX LOUNGE, her first single title; and SIN CLUB, her first single author anthology. Her first completed and published work, "Out of Control," a novella in SECRETS VOLUME 13, came out in July 2005.
An excerpt from "Out of Control" was used in ON WRITING ROMANCE, published by Writer's Digest Books, to illustrate how to effectively heighten sexual tension in a romance book.
As a speaker, Rachelle's presentations include: How to Get Published by Accident, Aggressive Promotion for Penny Pinchers, Making the Mundane Erotic, and Giving Your Readers Good Sex: 10 Ingredients for a Satisfying Love Scene.
Rachelle has also hosted two live talk shows, SingleMindedWomen.com Talk Radio, which featured popular guests speaking about dating, relationships, parenting, and more, plus "Chatting with Chase," in which she interviewed best-selling romance and erotica authors.
She also co-sponsored the "Chase the Dream" contest for writers with author Leigh Michaels, and frequently offers other fun contests.
She's appeared on national television – CBS, as well as The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet - plus national radio shows, including Playboy Radio, the Hip-Hop Connection, and the Jordan Rich Show.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Summit Professional Outdoor Kegerator with Stainless Steel for Freestanding or Built-In Use Model:SBC490OS
Summit Commercial Kegerator Perfect for Outdoor Use
The Summit SBC490OS kegerator & draft beer dispenser is constructed to meet commercial quality standards outdoors. This Summit kegerator has a stainless cabinet made of non-corrodible 304 grade stainless steel as well as a stainless steel door. With finished sides and top, the Summit SBC490OS is equally suited for built-in or freestanding applications. The Summit SBC490OS beer cooler is full-sized and can readily accommodate standard 1/2, 1/4 or pony (mini) beer kegs.
Summit professional kegerators are the perfect solution for those who want to integrate a draft beer system into an outdoor bar. The SBC490OS's draft tower can be placed in your cabinetry and the kegerator and it includes a fan to cool the compressor for built-in applications. Also included are shelves to convert the unit to a refrigerator complete with an auto-defrost feature.
Here's What's Included:
Ships complete with all components needed to tap one keg: CO2 tank, regulator, coupler, beer line, air line, tap, tower, cleaning kit, faucet, and faucet handle (keg not included)
**CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Click here for important information regarding Prop. 65 for CA residents.
Owners Manuals:
You may download a product owner's manual below:
- Download Product Owner's Manual (PDF)
- Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
**Please note, Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view pdf files


text:
Wasps are very territorial creatures - an average wasp nest has a 200-feet territorial radius. Wasps will instinctively flee an area that contains an unfamiliar nest. This natural wasp deterrent works without toxic chemicals or baits. Instead, it simulates a real wasp nest with the shape, colors and patterns to deter wasps from building nests in the same area. Just think of it as a "scarecrow for wasps".
The Bee Free Wasp Deterrent is great for patios, children's play areas or anywhere wasps are a problem. It folds flat so it's easy to bring camping or backpacking.
Features & Benefits:
- Imitation wasp nest deters wasps from building new nests
- Will not trap or harm bees or beneficial insects
- No chemicals or pesticides
- Folds flat for easy shipping
- 2 wasp deterrents per pack
Customer Testimonial
"I wanted to say that I have the Bee Free and it is terrific. We tried it for the first time last summer and actually didn't think it would work. We had a porch we could barely use because there were so many wasps. We put up the Bee Free and I could hardly believe it within a few days they had left our porch area. So simple and yet so effective and completely pesticide free. I just was outside rehanging the Bee Free for this year," - Celeste C.
Provides a non-toxic, safe way to control wasps.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We want you to be completely satisfied with every purchase you make. If you are in any way dissatisfied with a product you ordered, we'll exchange it, replace it or refund your money within 30 days of purchase. Simply email us the problem, and we'll take care of you. Certain products have extended warranties (up to 50 years!) that are listed on the particular product page. Please call us at 1-888-451-6752 if you need further clarification.
Additional Information
Weight | 4 oz. (each) |
Dimensions | 10" H x 10" W x 0.5" D (each) |
Key Feature | Natural, pesticide-free wasp deterrent |
Items per pack | 2 |
Shipping Information
- Shipping Details:
- Insured against damage or loss while in transit
- This Product Ships To:
- US & Canada
- Ships Via:
- Fedex or UPS
Questions about the Bee Free Wasp Deterrent 2-Pack
- From Li at 7/30/12 11:02 AM
- In North-East Georgia we get torrential blowing downpours of rain frequently throughout the Summer and Fall. Are the "Waspinators" WATERPROOF or will they fall apart like a wet paper bag. Obviously the red paper wasps nests made from wood are rainproof. What MATERIALS are these made from? Thanks!
- Unfortunately the Bee Free Wasp Deterrent is not waterproof, as it is made of a paper composite. It is best placed in a protected area, such as under a roof.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From Joyce at 5/4/13 5:50 PM
- Hi,
I have a metal roof that comes down half way on my balcony with the remainder aluminum siding. The roof portion has about 20 square cylinder that the wasp are nesting in. Will the Wasp Deterrent work even if the next are already being build.
It is like a missile attack when you go out on the balcony right now as the wasp look for the correct cylinder where their nests are. - It is likely that the because you have established nests, the Bee Free Wasp Deterrent may not work.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- Hi,
- From Julie at 5/27/13 10:10 PM
- We are interested in trying these, but live in a part of the country where the weather changes constantly. One hour it will be raining, the next it will be sunny and warm. Later it will rain again. I don't want to have to be constantly putting up and taking down the nests. Can you hang these in any weather?
- Yes. The The Bee Free Wasp Deterrent will withstand rains and heavy wind. You do not need to take them indoors during wet weather.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From Julee at 4/21/14 4:30 PM
- Is this made of paper, or can it be hung where it will get rained on?
- The Bee Free Wasp Deterrent is made of treated paper over wire hoops. Left out in rain and wind, the paper will degrade over time. This wasp deterrent is best located in a protected location where wasps would likely nest. A common placement is hung from the soffits beneath the eaves of a roof.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
Ask Your Own Question
- No-hassle, 30 day returns
- No sales tax
- Quick shipping
- Secure shopping (SSL, PCI, McAfee Secure)
- In business since 2000
- Member of Better Business Bureau, Green America, and US EPA Watersense
- Carbon-neutral, Family-owned business that promotes sustainability!


text:
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Jetta Interior Issues
Posts: 2
i am on a lease of an 06 jetta. the surface of the buttons on the cd player has swollen-looks like burnt- and can be peeled off by the softest touch.
no liquid, cigarette or anything burning or any other deteriorating agent has come into contact.
i was hesitating to touch the damaged buttons but i did and it looks bad.
does anyone know how can i get it fixed, if vw will charge me for the whole stereo system and generally what costs should i expect?
thanks in advance
no liquid, cigarette or anything burning or any other deteriorating agent has come into contact.
i was hesitating to touch the damaged buttons but i did and it looks bad.
does anyone know how can i get it fixed, if vw will charge me for the whole stereo system and generally what costs should i expect?
thanks in advance
duckhook78 Posts: 4I've recently noticed that the interior trim of my Jetta is detiorating. The plastic around the gear shift, air controls, and doors has become softer and a bit sticky. It has reached the point where if you touch the surface with your nail it leaves marks. I take very good care of my vehicle and would like to drive it for a while; however, the deterioration is becoming a bit of an eye sore. Has anyone experienced this problem? Is it something VW will replace?
duckhook78 Posts: 4
asimenia Posts: 2Among other things wrong with my automatic 2002 1.8T Jetta (80,000 miles), the most recent is quite weird.
So one day 8 months ago I'm driving on the freeway at 70mph. All of a sudden (with my foot on the gas pedal) the car starts revving instead of driving. I mean I'm coasting but the speed is going down. I take foot off gas, turn hazards on and move aside. Once pulled over, I turn engine off and on, and it's fine.
Since then, that same thing has happened about 30 times. The "connection" lasts at most 5 seconds". VW can't run codes because it needs to happen when they test it. Know about Murphy's Law?? Apllies here...
The other day though I was on cruise control at 70mph, and the same thing happened, and even in cruise control the speed went down (the engine stays on but it's like something cuts out) Since I was in right lane I left everything alone to see what would happen... The car got down to 60 almost and all of a sudden with a quick jerk whatever it was got connected again and the car sped up by itself to 70 wit...
Any ideas?
As a side note, the temperature gauge on my car goes to normal (in the middle) and by itself drops to the left (cold) back and forth several time in a day...
are these two related? How can I figure out what is wrong with car??? PLEASE HELP!
Thanks! -
jeffyscott Posts: 3,855
jeffyscott Posts: 3,855I guess they could try to claim it is abuse, but if the truth is all you did is use it normally and the coating is failing, I would hope that it would be covered by the warranty. So that should, I think, be at least the first step, go to the dealer with the problem and see what happens.
jennyt Posts: 6My 2005 1/2 new model Jetta, which I leased when the new model just came out, has started to emit a horrible odor. It started in July, and I recognized it to be fuel. I took it to the dealership, and they thought the smell was fuel too- they pressure tested everything, but nothing was found wrong. I have had it in 2 more times. It is almost a chemical exhaust kind of fume. Smells so bad that it gives both me and my husband a headache. After driving it for a while, you even get the odor on your clothes. We are not driving the car unless necessary and at a loss of what it is or what to do. VW claims that it is the leather. On one visit of these 3, we had them change the air filter. The smell went away for a month, and came back! Any advice or anyone having this problem- PLEASE HELP!!! VW wants us to go away- it is my second lemon of a Jetta- NEVER AGAIN! :lemon:
lostwrench Posts: 288
mm2983 Posts: 2I'm not an expert or anything, but this same exact thing happened to me. It was a different type of car, but the issue was the same. I was in the fast lane on the I5 in Southern California and, out of nowhere, the RPMs were all over the place and the vehicle slowed down. My issue was the coolant...
If this happened 30 times, it makes me think there might be some issue ... Coolant leak, perhaps? Some people use water instead of coolant... If you are doing this, try using regular coolant.
Not sure if that helps but I remember the same exact thing happening to me in another car.... -
rolan Posts: 1I have the same issue and have posted in other VW forums but gotten no answer. Most of the plastic is sticky and gummy to the point that if I rub my knee with it while getting into or out of the car my pants are ruined for the day... My car is 2000 and not under warranty so VW service is out of the question. any suggestions?
jennyt Posts: 6I am happy to say my lease on my POC Jetta was up in March. Buh-bye. The harsh smell issue was brutal fora bout 6 months... Pretty much not driveable... It subsided, and then disapated completely. VW did NOTHING for me, and they even lied to me- I asked them to drive the car for a while, and the rep said he would, and said he did... when I picked the car up the mileage was the same as when I had dropped it off.
I have no idea what the smell was, but at least we were able to get some usage out of it again. We think it had something to do with the leather/glue/foam... Not sure.
Good luck with yours- sorry I cannot help. I will NEVER NEVER NEVER buy another VW again. :P :mad: :lemon: :lemon:
This discussion has been closed.


text:
Wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet
We offer free wireless internet to our shoppers at this Simon mall. Any shopper with a Wi-Fi enabled laptop, tablet or smartphone can easily log onto the Wi-Fi network. All shoppers have to do is open their web browser or select "Simon WiFi" (the SSID name) from their available list of wireless networks to get to the Simon Malls Wi-Fi landing page. All shoppers that choose to use the Wi-Fi network at this mall must agree to Simon Wi-Fi Terms & Conditions of Use prior to using this free service. If there are any issues or questions, shoppers and tenants should contact the Wi-Fi network technical support hotline at (888) 726-5930 for assistance.
Foreign Currency Online Ordering with Travelex
Order your travel money online for convenient home delivery. Did you know that some Simon mall locations also include retail Travelex stores for your convenience. Travelex is the world's largest retail foreign currency exchange specialist, with over 1000 stores around the world. We can provide you with over 75 foreign currencies as well as a Cash Passport that can be pre-loaded with either Pounds or Euros and includes chip & PIN technology, a must when traveling in Europe. To get started, visit Travelex now.

Plan to stay overnight and get a great rate on a hotel room near the mall. Click here to book online or call 1-800-916-1681 to make your reservation today!

Save up to $100 - click here for more details
iPhone® & Android™ App
The Simon Malls Mobile App can help you find your favorite stores, dining and entertainment options at the Simon Mall nearest you. You'll also be able to check out the latest deals and events available at your favorite mall right from your phone. And there are many more features designed to enhance your shopping experience including mall maps & gift card balance check. Download the free app from the App Store℠ for iOS powered devices or from Google Play™ for Android powered devices today. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc.
Lost and Found
Lost something? Found something? Please call Security at 440-449-5680 if you need assistance.
Mall Walking

 Richmond Town Square is a great place to get some exercise. For your convenience, the mall doors open 1 hour before the stores. Mall walking hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00am to 9:00pm, and Sundays 10:00am to 6:00pm. Walking the entire mall is .7 miles.

 Fitness on the Go! mall walking program is sponsored by University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center. Fitness on the Go! events are held the first and third Wednesday of each month from 9am-noon near JCPenney. For more information on this program please call Heather Beam at UH Richmond Medical Center, (440) 585-6137 or visit UHrichmond.org.
Handicapped parking is available outside most mall entrances.
Stroller rental is available down the JCPenney concourse.
Wheelchairs (Complimentary)
Wheelchairs are available by calling Security at 440-449-5680. There is no charge for this service, we simply need to hold on to a picture ID while the wheelchair is out. Wheelchair rental is on a first come, first serve basis.


text:
Get All 23 Events For One LOW Price!Stop by the Attica Raceway Park Display.
(Attica, OH) Stop by at one of the 2007 mall shows (Findlay Mall March 9-11; Bowling Green Mall March 16-19; and the NOSCS at the Tiffin Mall, March 23-25) to see the 2007 Baumann Automotive Group ARP Pace Truck and grab a copy of the 2007 Race Schedule from ARP Operations Manager Rex LeJeune. Attica will be offering a discounted season pass and skybox special for its 20th year of racing at all three events. A season pass will be good for EVERY racing event during the 2007 season.


text:
Trial resumes for New Lenox man accused of paralyzing punch
By Janet Lundquist firstname.lastname@example.com December 4, 2012 4:08PM
Joseph P. Messina
Updated: January 6, 2013 9:55AM
A bench trial for a New Lenox man accused of delivering a paralyzing punch to another man three years ago is scheduled to resume Wednesday in Will County court.
Joseph Messina, 24, is accused of punching Eric J. Bartels, 29, as they were leaving a Mokena bar in July 2009, causing Bartels to fracture his skull on the parking lot pavement and suffer a severe brain injury that left him paralyzed, blind and mute.
Three years later, Bartels' mother said he still can't see or speak. She cares for him in her home.
Messina's bench trial was postponed in June while Will County prosecutors tried now-convicted and sentenced family killer Christopher Vaughn this summer.
Prosecutors said the fight happened July 25, 2009, outside 191 South in Mokena.
In June, Anna Minette, a former Frankfort resident and friend of Bartels', testified at the start of Messina's bench trial.
Minette said she was standing beside him outside the bar as they prepared to leave.
Minette said she noticed a man standing in front of her — Messina — had a spot on his shirt, and she tried to tell him about it.
"He turned to me and said, 'Don't worry about it, it's just blood,'" Minette said.
She said she exchanged a glance with Bartels, who she said told Messina he "should take care of that."
After that, Minette said, Messina looked at Bartels and started to yell, "It's gonna be your blood."
Minette said she felt uncomfortable, tried to push Bartels away and even told a friend of Messina's "to please get his friend out of here." But then she heard a "loud crack noise" behind her, turned and saw Bartels lying on his back in the parking lot.
Bartels' mother, Janet, has sued the hospitals and two doctors who treated her son.
She claims the staff of Silver Cross Hospital, which was in Joliet at the time, miscommunicated with the responders who brought Bartels there, and miscommunicated with staff at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet when he was transferred there, which delayed the treatment of his brain injury.


text:
Ở mỗi vùng trên đất nước, bạn sẽ tìm thấy những trải nghiệm độc đáo, biến kỳ nghỉ trong mơ của bạn trở thành hiện thực.
Search results 1-10 of 114
Gate 3, Yarra Park, Jolimont Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: www.nsm.org.au Victoria FULLDAY 9116841 Phone Number: 61 03 9657 8879 Fax Number: 61 03 9650 5682
Come to the inner sanctum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and discover what makes Australia such a great sporting country. Ever wanted to see behind the scenes at the mighty 'G? Experience an unforgettable MCG Tour with access all areas including player change rooms, the Ron Casey Media Centre, member only areas of the Melbourne Cricket Club such as the Long Room and a walk on the hallowed arena. Walk in the steps of great sporting legends. The National Sports Museum is located at the home of sport in Australia, accessible by multiple transport options (trams 48, 70 and 75, train to Richmond or Jolimont Stations and the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle) or just a short walk from Melbourne's city centre. Check out an amazing 3D hologram of Shane Warne sharing stories about his sporting career as well as over 3500 objects on display across 3000 square metres of world-class galleries. Test your sports skills and challenge your friends with heaps of interactive games in Game On including run out the batsman and kick for goal. You can even make yourself a front page headline at the Herald Sun Sports Desk! After all this activity, the Paddock Cafe is the perfect place to recharge and enjoy the atmosphere of Australia's most iconic stadium with view of the arena, a coffee and a bite to eat. Before heading off, pick up a memento of your visit to the home of sport at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Superstore. The Melbourne Cricket Ground Superstore you can choose from a great range of exclusive Melbourne Cricket Ground and National Sports Museum merchandise along with all heaps of official cricket and Australian Football League supporter gear and more! A visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the National Sports Museum is a perfect family outing!
231 Waterdale Road, Ivanhoe, Victoria, 3079 Email: email@example.com Website: www.oceaniatours.com.au Victoria EXTENDED 9137892 Phone Number: 61 03 9499 5139
Experience Melbourne's major attractions and hidden secrets or join an unforgettable day tour to Phillip Island or the Great Ocean Road by travelling with Oceania Tours and Safaris. The philosophy is quality over quantity for a reasonable price. Oceania Tours and Safaris focus on small group tours and unique itineraries to create a personalised touring experience. The modern mini-coaches are very comfortable and allow a lot of interaction between the passengers and highly qualified tour guides. The friendly team of well trained professional local guides speak fluent English, Spanish, Italian and German and are very considerate of the different travel behaviours and expectations of their clients. Other language guides for charter tours can be booked on request. The city sights tour of Melbourne includes entry to the amazing Eureka Skydeck. All major attractions and local tour guides give the tours a unique flavour through their knowledge and character. The day tours to Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road combine nature experiences with wildlife and give plenty of opportunities to encounter Victoria's amazing landscapes and friendly people. All tours run with a minimum of two and a maximum of 12 passengers. Pick-up and drop-off from the hotel is included and airport transfers are possible. Oceania Tours also operates a fleet of luxury mini-coaches providing deluxe travel on a charter basis. A very user friendly website is available in English, German, Italian and Spanish.
10/167 Beavers Rd, Northcote, Victoria, 3070 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: www.gowest.com.au Victoria FULLDAY 9023991 Phone Number: 61 03 9485 5290
Winner of the 2007 Australian Tourism Award for Best Tour and Transport Operator, Go West Tours operates daily small group day tours to the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island and Yarra Valley. Go West Tours pride themselves on providing truly memorable small group touring experiences. Their guides provide a very interactive and engaging service that is the envy of other tour operators. The full day tours include complimentary hotel pick ups from locations in the inner city area. The Penguin Parade day tour offers unique inclusions such as cheese and wine tasting, a visit to the Rhyll Trout & Bush Tucker Farm, the Koala Conservation Centre, the Nobbies and of course the famous Philip Island Penguin Parade. The beautiful Great Ocean Road is more than just a drive when you visit with Go West, stopping along the way, hearing the stories and getting in touch with nature and Australia's unique wildlife with an experienced and upbeat guide. Go West Tours Yarra Valley Gourmet tour provides a well-rounded taste of the Yarra Valley's best food and wine products. So much more than just a winery tour, you will taste the very best the valley has to offer. Go West Tours is a genuinely innovative tour operator and was the first Australian tour operator to offer a fully mobile personal audio translation service. Customers may receive tour information in any of thirteen international languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Thai and Malaysian.
Cr Flinders and Swanston St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: winebus.com.au Victoria FULLDAY 9140479 Phone Number: 61 13 0094 6328
Discover all the flavours of the Yarra Valley on a Winebus winery tour. The moment you step on a Winebus tour you will know you are in for a good time. The tour guides at Winebus are not wine snobs and they are not into cross-country cruisin' and boozin'. Winebus guarantees a relaxed day of sampling the magnificent wines of the Yarra Valley. They know where the vintages are. Your Winebus tour guide won't bore you to tears with statistics, but they will share their knowledge of wine, and especially the cool climate wines of Victoria's Yarra Valley. You will be visiting four wineries with cellar door tastings, and enjoy a superb winery restaurant lunch and chocolate tastings at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie. Your Winebus full day tour includes pick-up from four Melbourne city centre locations, then a one hour scenic drive to the Yarra Valley. Your experienced wine tour guide will take you on a morning tour of Domaine Chandon winery, finishing in the Green Point Room with a full glass of sparkling wine and nibbles. Your small group will have wine tastings at three more premium wineries. Including a winery restaurant a la carte lunch with glass of wine. Four great wineries, one grape day! Winebus can also customise a private tour to suit your group. Visit the website for more information. Ask about the Winebus Gift Certificate, great gift idea for all occasions.
Flinders St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: www.longhorntours.com.au Victoria EXTENDED 9135357 Phone Number: 61 03 9439 0510 Fax Number: 61 03 9439 0515
Longhorn YOUnique Tours is a 2014 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award winner. They travel to the Great Ocean Road, the Otway's Rainforest, Grampians, Phillip Island, the Yarra Valley and can also customise a tour to suit. You will see spectacular scenery, wildlife in their natural environment, learn about the area's history and culture, enjoy homemade treats and great accommodation as Longhorn's expert guides take you on a journey of discovery. Eco Tourism and Respecting their Culture accredited, Longhorn YOUnique Tours is a family owned business operated by Garry and Shirley Hamel, two Australians who know and understand the beauty of the country they live in. With a range of tours from one day to multiple day tours and private or customised tours to choose from. Longhorn YOUnique Tours believe that guests should not feel rushed so their tours are conducted in small groups travelling in luxury four wheel-drive vehicles with your comfort and needs a top priority. A maximum of six people on each tour will give you a personalised experience to remember. Longhorn YOUnique Tours are part of the Extinction Fighters program and have adopted a Tasmanian Devil at Healesville Sanctuary. Fee wireless internet onboard all tours. Contact the friendly staff at Longhorn YOUnique Tours to enquire.
7 Liverpool Street, Fitzroy North, Victoria, 3068 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: www.topdown.com.au Victoria FULLDAY 9012420 Phone Number: 61 03 9489 4727
Chevrolet Convertibles/Top Down Tours are professional Yarra Valley Wine and Beer Tour operators servicing this area with expertise. Specialists in fun, excitement and adventure, touring in Classic Convertible Chevrolet cars and offering an experience that will Indulge the senses. Offering service with quality, our drivers are friendly and knowledgeable of all tours and with 15 years in operation you know you have the best. Tours include Yarra Valley Wine or Beer Tours, Dandenong Ranges, City Bay and Surrounds or The Great Ocean Road. If you need to tour you need to tour with a local, the experience and knowledge is unmatched. Top Down Tours are Unique! Top up or top down, lets cruise!
657 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141 Email: email@example.com Website: www.melbournebirding.com Victoria EXTENDED 9202317 Phone Number: 61 04 0143 5514
Based in Melbourne, Melbourne Birding Tours specialises in tours for birdwatchers, the beginners, the photographers and the serious twitcher. Be it birding, bird watching or just enjoying nature, Melbourne Birding Tours can give you an amazing experience. With a professional guide who has over seven years wildlife guiding experience, 15 years birding experience and a friendly laid-back approach, Paul Hackett is thrilled with the reaction he has had from his guests. Melbourne Birding Tours understands there are more than 500 species of birds in Victoria, it is a birdwatcher's paradise. Victoria has so many special birds such as the Superb Lyrebird, Hooded Plover and the spectacle of thousands of waders during the summer months. Not many visitors aware that in under an hours drive from Melbourne there is a wetland which has a similar amount of species, per square metre, as Kakadu National Park. For further information please contact Melbourne Birding Tours or visit the website.
3620 South Gippsland Highway, Tooradin, Victoria, 3980 Email: email@example.com Website: www.ausairservices.com.au Victoria FULLDAY 9165797 Phone Number: 61 03 5998 3711 Fax Number: 61 03 5998 3733
Aus Air Services provides the ultimate experience in aviation. At Aus Air Services, scenic flights are the perfect way to take to the skies without a pilot license. With scenic flights from Aus Air Services you will be able to experience the thrill of aviation without the responsibility of piloting yourself! Sit back and relax on your flights as you take in the scenic views from the passenger seat of some of the most exquisite aircrafts to ever hit the skies. Whether it is a quick flight across the local coastal area or maybe lunch at Flinders Island, Aus Air Services are committed to making your scenic flight the best experience possible. With a combination of expert pilots, varied fleet and comfortable airport facilities they will make sure that it is more than just a flight, it will be an experience you will remember for the rest of your life. If you do not see anything you like, you can design your own scenic flight. Just contact Aus Air Services for a quote on a custom flight to suit your requirements. With the perfect fleet for scenic flights and expert pilots to make your flight unforgettable, Aus Air Services can turn all your dreams into reality. Discover the Aus Air difference and book a scenic flight today. Gift certificates are also available to give someone else a flight they will never forget.
Meet at St Paul's Cathedral, Corner Flinders and Swanston St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Website: www.austwinetourco.com.au Victoria FULLDAY 9025224 Phone Number: 61 03 9419 4444 Fax Number: 61 03 9419 3355
Winery tours, with Australian Wine Tour Company have never been so much fun or affordable. Their daily tours take in some of Victoria's best wineries in the stunning region of the Yarra Valley only one hour from Melbourne. Start your tour learning the art of the swirl, sniff and slurp from your expert wine guide, then try a range of cellar door tastings. At your next winery, enjoy some more tastings and then move to lunch at the winery restaurant for a main meal with a glass of wine. In the afternoon travel through the gorgeous scenery to a smaller boutique winery for some tastings and finish the day at Domaine Chandon, the Australian house of the legendary Moet and Chandon. Tour the facilities and relax in the cellar door with a glass of famous bubbly and light nibbles to share. Return to Melbourne having had an unforgettable day out in the Yarra Valley. Australian Wine Tour Company also specialises in private luxury customised tours for up to six people and social corporate group tours which are perfect for impressing your clients, a great day out with friends, your next office Christmas party or to reward your valued staff.
Moran Reserve, Marine Parade, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182 Email: email@example.com Website: www.skydive.com.au Victoria HALFDAY 9149924 Phone Number: 61 13 0066 3634
Skydive the Beach and Beyond Melbourne allows you to see the city of Melbourne appear like patchwork as you exit the plane from 14,000 feet and fall into your tandem skydiving adventure! As you skydive, you will freefall over an unbeatable view of Melbourne curling around the sparkling expanse of Port Phillip Bay. Securely attached to your experienced tandem instructor, you will be guided through your entire skydive. Your adventure will begin with a safety briefing followed by a scenic plane ride to height. As the excitement builds, your expert instructor will prepare you for the countdown and together you will make the ultimate jump from up to 14,000 feet above the stunning Victorian coastline. After you experience freefall reaching speeds of up to 220 kilometres, per hour, for up to 60 seconds, your instructor will pull the chute and you will soar serenely like a bird for up to five minutes taking in the breathtaking views. If you are feeling brave, take control and steer the parachute and don't worry, we've got your back! The views of Melbourne are incredible and the rush is unbeatable! Your Australian Parachute Federation Levy is included in the price of your skydive so you have nothing more to pay on the day.
Tìm kiếm cho các tour du lịch
Lên kế hoạch cho chuyến đi của du khách


text:
Free forum : welcome to the eternal nothingness of oblivion. . . will you follow out with the followers of dawn or stay and guide the way to night fall. . . or will your rise above and spot the sun sh
#social, anime, final, fantasy, kingdom, hearts, eternal, nothingness, oblivion, will, follow, with, followers, dawn, stay, guide, night
A Patio Garden is a social forum for container gardeners, gardeners with larger gardening spaces & for people who enjoy using a camera.
miniature_roses, echinopsis, adenium_obesum, mandevilla, marigold, sarracenia, venus_fly_trap, dracaena, curcuma, aechmea, surf, hibiscus, hippeastrum, wollemi
A social network and Community resource for the Aquarium Hobby in Central Virginia!
virginia, fish, club, cvas, central, aquarium, local, richmond, group
Official Forum of the Online Social & Roleplaying game GROWL
growl-forums, official, forum, online, #social, roleplaying, game, growl
OSRS_Advice is a 2007 Runescape clan, founded on the idea of Maturity and Friendliness between clannies
Digital Art and Products by Angela Hobbs. ~ DIGITAL ART ~ SCRAP KITS ~ SOFTWARE ~ TUTORIALS ~ FREEBIES
digi, scrap, cafe, graphics, taggers, digital, kits, scrapbooking, artists, designers, resources, community, #social, challenges, contests, tutorials
The Ebon Circle is a Feral Heart based Roleplay and Social Group about the Kreptis species
ebon, circle, feral, heart, based, roleplay, #social, group, about, kreptis, species
This is the official forum board of the White devils social Club.
Matt's forum for Minecraft, YouTube, and more!
themattvid, youtube, minecraft, mainwing, #social, common, place, subscribe, channel, comments, interests, harder, entertaining, best, alternative, facebook, search, promote, users, interact, talk
Free forum : Gaming guild in Tera Online. Social website for ALL Solar memebrs
free, forum, solar, gaming, guild, tera, online, #social, website, memebrs
Free forum : Conspiracies, whistle-blowers, dissidents, social lepers all welcome. . . except spammers and mindless trolls
free, forum, billy, rubens, circle, jerk, conspiracies, stalkers, whistle, blowers, dissidents, welcome
Welcome to The Forum. That's all it is. The Forum, and it is not to be known by any other name. We have a wide selection of roleplays and more. Enjoy your stay.
forum, roleplay, chatting, #social, homestuck, hetalia, soul, eater, ohshc, dhmis, paragraph, style, play-by-post, blogging
Free forum : Wilshire, a town overrun by the supernatural, has just begun its yearly social season.
free, forum, seven, sights, vampire, roleplay, shifters, supernatural, preturnatural
Free forum : A Bent Riders forum. Free forum : Recumbent Riders Social Club


text:
Cars > Hoops_5_1's Garage
About Hoops_5_1's Garage
About me and my passion for cars
I've always had a passion for cars since I was young, but once I was able to drive thats when the love of cars really came forward.
My first car
2000 Chevrolet Malibu LS it was a nice car but I've always wanted a sports car.
Car I wish I still had
My malibu, but only because it got alot better gas mileage than my current vehicle.
My dream car
That would be between any of the 67-69 Fastback Mustangs or a Boss 302 Mustang.
Car clubs I'm in
Platte Valley Mustang Club out of Columbus, Nebraska.
- Type of racing: Drag
- Driver: Dale Earnhardt jr
- Driving song: Anything with a Good Beat
- Car movie: Gone in 60 Seconds, Fast and Furious Series
- Car book: Anything about Mustangs and Carroll Shelby
- Car magazine: Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, Modified Mustangs
- Car game: Grand Turismo
— Profile last updated: Dec 25, 2007
Hoops_5_1's Groups 1 – 3 of 5
Enthusiast Groups
Jay Leno's Garage Enthusiast
Get an under-the-hood look at Jay Leno's famous classic auto collection on Jay's Garage Webisodes! Log onto NBC.com every Tuesday to check out a new webisode! Synopsis "Jay's Garage" features rare access to Jay Leno's vaunted and varied classic auto collection. Each week, Leno will pull the...
New York, United States
Northeast Domestic's Enthusiast
This is a group souley dedicated to all domestic cars in the Northeast region of the United States! If you join us be sure to check out our forums!
Pennsylvania, United States
TENNESSEE MustangGTs and... Enthusiast
Club Groups
*We are a group of Mustang enthusiasts located in Columbus,Ne and surrounding area. *Our club is over 50 members strong and consists of over 70 mustangs and fords. *We enjoy many different activities during the year, Spring & Fall Poker runs, Spring & Fall Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup, Annual PVMC...
Nebraska, United States
SilverMustangs.com Club
Well here you are…the best damn place for those that have a passion for silver Mustangs! Inside our site, you will find forums, classifieds, stickers, merchandise, and some history of the Mustang and the following of silver Mustangs through the years. We all own or love this American made...
Connecticut, United States
We are a group thats all about having fun with friends. We are based around the Ford Mustangs but welcome any and all car people to come and hang out with us. We never charge any dues and will take any mustang no matter the shape its in. If you can drive it your welcome to join. Since I...
Kentucky, United States
Business Groups
Dez Racing Business
Welcome to the all new dezracing.com. We strive to be the best in service and prices for all your racing needs! We make online shopping simple, fast and affordable. Our competitve pricing makes us one of the best sites on the internet for great parts and accessories. We sell and Work on All...
Massachusetts, United States
Hoops_5_1's Events
Date | Title |
May 24–25, 2008 | HARTINGTON SHOW&SHINE |
Jul 29, 2007 | 16th Annual All Ford Show |
Jun 9–10, 2007 | HARTINGTON SHOW&SHINE |
Hoops_5_1's Garage Comments 1 of 1
Log in to post comments.
Read comments on Hoops_5_1's garage (1)
Cars > Hoops_5_1's Garage


text:
Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law requiring school districts to assess students' civic knowledge at least once in grades 4 through 8 and at least once in grades 9 through 12. The legislation is significant, a new report from the Comptroller's office suggests, because it is the first time the state has required any type of assessment for civics education.
The new civics assessments, which will begin in the current school year, differ from other state-mandated assessments in two important respects: (1) they will not be standardized tests developed by vendors according to state-determined specifications, but instead are to be developed and implemented by school districts, and (2) they are required to be "project-based," which is education lingo for a more hands-on, practical approach to learning.
Project-based assessments differ considerably from the multiple choice format that dominates most standardized testing. Project-based learning involves student-driven projects that are both central to the curriculum and rooted in the real-life situations, involving complex tasks based on challenging questions or problems. Students work to develop solutions that could actually be used to address the issues they are studying.
An example of a project-based approach to learning is Project Citizen, a program some Tennessee schools already use. In Project Citizen, students work together to identify problems in their communities, research those problems, consider possible alternatives, develop solutions in the form of public policies and petition local or state authorities to adopt those policies.
The Comptroller's report cites research suggesting that project-based approaches in the classroom can result in more in-depth learning and better performance on complex tasks - outcomes that align with Tennessee's recent education reform efforts to ramp up student expectations.
The report also provides an overview of the evolution of civics instruction in U.S. public schools.