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These views are inerasable from the record of Ben- Gurion's attitudes which will retain an interest for future generations. The founding prime minister of the Jewish state, a staunch labor leader, was always viewed as an atheist, as an unbeliever. In his later years he emerged with a firm belief, with a theological philosophy. It had been spoken of as Einsteinian and Spinozist. Perhaps it is simply: Ben-Gurionian. Spinoza's life story fully an- notated, is related, in part, as follows from The En- cyclopedia of Judaism edited by Geoffrey Wigoder: Baruch Spinoza, (Benedict), Philosopher (1632-1677). He was born in Amsterdam to a Marrano family from Portugal, who had fled to Holland and returned to Judaism. As a child, he received a formal Jewish education in the Ets Hayyim Talmud Torah. Upon completion of his studies, he began to delve deeply into the works of the medieval Jewish philosophers, such as Ger- sonides and Maimonides, both of whom profoundly influenced his views and philosophic system. From the age of 22, Spinoza began to draw closer to the Christian circles in his city, and to ex- press an interest in the general sciences. His "atheistical" and heretical views aroused concern both in the Jewish com- munity and in Amster- dam's Calvinistic circles, leading to his excom- munication by the Amster- dam Jewish community in 1656. Following this, he left Amsterdam and spent most of the rest of his life in the Hague, earning his livelihood by polishing lenses for reading glasses. Spinoza's philosophic thought is complex and dif- ficult, combining meta- physics, ethics, psychology, anthropology, political thought, and the philos- ophy of religion. The religious base is one of its major hubs, as Spinoza of- fers man an alternative to the established religions. Spinoza also identified, clearly and profoundly, the new political reality in Europe, and discussed its significance for the fate of the Jewish people. As a result, he was critical of the Jewish heritage, both from a philosophical and a modernizing viewpoint. His major conclusion was that the laws of the halak- kah were not in keeping with the new culture, which meant that a change in the status of religion in the life of the individual and the state was required. Because of his views, he was considered a heretic even after his death, and his teachings were pro- scribed by both Christians and Jews. Only at the end of the 18th century did philosophers begin to study his views, and since then his writings have become an inseparable part of modern philosophy. ❑ NEWS Imm"m'm Shamir Govt. Is Unlikely This Week Jerusalem (JPFS) — In stark contrast to earlier op- timism that Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir could put a coalition together in the next few days, Likud sources now doubt that he will be able to present his govern- ment to the Knesset this week. Last week, Shamir offi- cially asked President Her- zog for an extension of his mandate, the first 21 days having passed without his being able to form a government. The 21-day ex- tension was granted. The difficulties raised by the small right-wing parties have so far failed to produce any visible panic in the prime minister's entourage, and political observers are mystified by the remarkably leisurely pace of the negotia- tions. Shamir is "deliberately dragging things out," sources in the right-wing parties charged Saturday. "He could have had a government days ago." Shamir is still yearning for "the internatinal respec- tability and legitimacy of heading a broad national unity coalition," some sources hinted. Shamir hotly denied this in a meeting with Moledet. He could not possibly be seeking a national unity alternative "as that does not exist now," Shamir said, ad- ding, "The option is just not in the cards." He also warn- ed Moledet that if each would-be coalition partner stood "on every last iota of its ideology, it would be im- possible to form a govern- ment."