Happiness Is Not The Reward Of

This proposition comes from Part IV of the Ethics (1677), Spinoza's masterwork written in geometric form. Spinoza argues that happiness (laetitia) is not a reward granted after virtuous action but is identical with virtue itself — specifically, the active increase in our power to think and act. For Spinoza, pursuing virtue and experiencing genuine joy are one and the same activity. Baruch Spinoza considered this inseparability of virtue and happiness the cornerstone of his practical philosophy.