Spinoza was one of the most influential figures of the Enlightenment, but his often obscure metaphysics makes it difficult to understand the ultimate message of his philosophy. Although he regarded ...freedom as the fundamental goal of his ethics and politics, his theory of freedom has not received sustained, comprehensive treatment. Spinoza holds that we attain freedom by governing ourselves according to practical principles, which express many of our deepest moral commitments. Matthew J. Kisner focuses on this theory and presents an alternative picture of the ethical project driving Spinoza's philosophical system. His study of the neglected practical philosophy provides an accessible and concrete picture of what it means to live as Spinoza's ethics envisioned.
It is widely recognised that Spinoza ended the Cartesian dualism of body and mind by thinking through the possibility of their unity. Revisiting this generally accepted notion of psycho-physical ...parallelism in Spinoza, Chantal Jaquet offers a new analysis of the relation between body and mind. Looking at a range of Spinoza's texts, and using an original methodology, she analyses their unity in action through the affects that bring together a body's affection and the idea of this affection. Jaquet reveals that understanding affects, actions and passions provides the key to how the mind and body are the same individual expressed in two different ways. She presents the Spinozist model in all its complexity, illuminating its potentialities for contemporary debates on the nature of the mind-body problem.
Naturalism and Democracy, first published in German in 2014, presents a long-awaited commentary on Spinoza's Political Treatise (Tractatus politicus). It gives a detailed analysis of Spinoza's latest ...theory of State and Law, with special attention to his democratic approach.
Hegel or Spinoza Macherey, Pierre; Ruddick, Susan M
12/2011
eBook
Hegel or Spinoza is the first English-language translation of the modern classic Hegel ou Spinoza. Pierre Macherey provides a surgically precise interrogation of the points of misreading of Spinoza ...by Hegel and initiates an encounter that produces a new understanding, a common truth that emerges in the interval that separates the two.
The American Founding seems to reflect Spinozist principles, despite the fact that few of the Founders evince any real engagement with Spinoza's ideas. I argue that the surface-level similarities ...between the American regime and Spinoza's political ideal mask deep disagreements. The Lockeanism of the American Founding may in fact contain resources to ameliorate the crisis of modern liberal democracy that Spinoza would only intensify.
This review essay explores Chapter One of Aaron Herold's recent book, The Democratic Soul: Spinoza, Tocqueville, and Enlightenment Theology. After tracing out the logic of Herold's reconstruction of ..."Spinoza's Liberal Theology," it suggests a Spinozistic rejoinder to the Tocquevillian critique of Spinoza that Herold develops in his book. Further, it raises the question of Spinoza's understanding of the scope and character of the project of enlightenment that he envisions. Finally, it points toward a Tocquevillian critique of Spinoza's liberal theology that Herold suggests but does not explicitly develop.
Statesmanship in Modern Times Herold, Aaron
Perspectives on political science,
10/3/2022, Letnik:
51, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The thread uniting the preceding four essays concerns the place of statesmanship within a modern world characterized by mass politics, impersonal forces, and the simultaneous emancipation and ...denigration of the democratic soul. In this brief response, I consider the capacity of statesmanship to encourage political prudence and moderation today. Noting the importance of the disagreement between Spinoza and Tocqueville for helping us understand this problem, I describe Tocqueville's acuity in articulating its peculiar dimensions, but I also highlight the importance for today's liberalism of Spinoza's defense of reason.
