God and Godot

Spinoza's distinction between the God that is equivalent to substance, sometimes called the immanent God, and the God who resides outside the universe, which he calls the transcendent God, requires terminological clarification. In order to avoid the unwieldy over-metaphysicalized English of "transcendent God" and "immanent God" we shall define our terms as follows:

By "God" we mean "the God that is substance" or, to use more vivid language, "the God that is the universe." This term can also be used interchangeably with "the Universe."

By "Godot" we mean "the God that is outside the universe." "Godot" is a French term which translates loosely as "little ass-sucking piece of shit God." We have indisputable empirical evidence that this God does not look like Joey Buttafuoco in a long white beard. Godot looks more like a refrigerated custard, or, as the English say, a blanc mange.

In our discussion of the First Part of Spinoza's Ethics where the distinction has not yet been made, we will use "God."