It demonstrates that spinozas intention was to free people from their unconscious and irrational passions so that they could learn to truly be themselves. Young spinoza studied hebrew, the old testament, the talmud, and cabalas traditions of mysticism and miracle. Over the next few weeks we will examine this view in more detail and consider its implications for human life. Most readers of spinoza treat him as a pure metaphysician, a grim determinist, or a stoic moralist, but none of these descriptions captures the author of the ethics, argues steven b. His life and philosophy by frederick pollock 2000, paperback, reprint at. Spinoza and spinozism, oup, 2005 isbn 9780199279548 hardt, michael, trans. Joe paul kroll, graduate faculty philosophy journal 40. Although spinoza was an excellent student in the jewish schools he attended. Camus won the nobel prize for literature in 1957 and. This book, which presents spinozas main ideas in dictionary form, has as its subject the opposition between ethics and morality, and the link between ethical. Transcendental idealism and immanence from jacobi to deleuze 2011 and spinozas ethics. It aims, in the first instance, at being understood by those who have not made a special study of the subject.
Baruch spinoza project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. It was only much later, after her graduate studies in analytic philosophy and after teaching the ethics for many years to college students, that goldstein came to see that her high school teacher was also wrong to insist that spinozas philosophy, written, as mrs. In this book, spinoza argues that the way to blessedness or. Baruch spinoza 16321677 was one of the most important philosophers of all time. This book, which presents spinozas main ideas in dictionary form, has as its subject the opposition between ethics and morality, and the link between ethical and ontological propositions. Arthur schopenhauer was deeply influenced by buddhist thought and is in many ways the wests answer to it. The book of life developing emotional intelligence the book of life is the brain of. Principles of the philosophy of descartes 1663 theologicalpolitical treatise 1670 political treatise 16731677 the ethics published the year of the death of spinoza spinoza, rejecting any divine transcendence, identifies and merges god and the nature. Spinoza, his life and philosophy school ebook library. In this bold endeavor, the essays gathered here extend the spinozan project beyond the disciplinary boundaries of philosophy to encompass all forms of lifeaffirming activity. And it presents the ethics as a companion to spinozas major work of political philosophy, the theologicopolitical treatise, each work helping to explore the problem of freedom. Spinozas theoretical philosophy is one of the most radical attempts to construct a pure ontology with a single infinite substance. Spinoza now, the first broadly interdisciplinary volume dealing with spinozan thought, asserts the importance of spinozas philosophy of immanence for contemporary cultural and philosophical debates. Our former education was to teach us how to survive or to succeed in life.
The new school for social research is a graduate institution in new york city. His life and philosophy by frederick pollock 2000, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. Spinoza s book of life leads the reader through the basic teachings of spinoza s ethics and his theologicalpolitical treatise. Baruch spinozas philosophy encompasses nearly every area of philosophical discourse, including metaphysics, epistemology, political philosophy, ethics. Spinozism also spelled spinozaism is the monist philosophical system of baruch spinoza that. Spinoza was the descendent of portuguese jews who immigrated to the netherlands seeking religious tolerance.
Watch animated introductions to 35 philosophers by the school. The philosophy of spinoza alfred weber b aruch benedict spinoza,1 spinosa, or despinoza, was born at amsterdam, in 1632, of portuguese jewish parents, who were, it seems, in good circumstances. Offering a new reading of spinozas masterpiece, smith asserts that the ethics is a celebration of human freedom and its attendant joys and responsibilities and. He is considered one of the great rationalists of 17thcentury philosophy and, by virtue of his magnum opus the ethics, one of the. Dec 03, 2018 spinozas ethics, published in 1677, is considered his greatest work and one of historys most influential philosophical treatises. On postkantian philosophy as historical appropriation, by karl ameriks. Of all the philosophers of the seventeenth century, spinoza is among the. The school of life is a global organisation helping people to lead more fulfilled lives. For this 17th century outsider, philosophy is like a spiritual. Perhaps baruch spinoza was the daniel dennett of his era. I actually have quite an idiosyncratic reading of this great metaphysical masterpiece.
He made significant contributions in virtually every area of philosophy, and his writings reveal the influence of such divergent sources as stoicism, jewish rationalism, machiavelli, hobbes, descartes, and. It is a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. Beginning with an overview of spinoza s life, michael della rocca carefully unpacks and explains spinoza s philosophy. I ordered the book ethics after watching this video. Im intrigued that you said that your second choice, moby dick 1851, has spinoza lurking behind the story of a young man finding himself, or an older man losing himself in pursuit of a whale who injured him. In two of your more recent books, 36 arguments for the existence of god.
Offering a new reading of spinozas masterpiece, smith asserts that the ethics is a celebration of human freedom and its attendant joys and responsibilities and should be placed. He was born to sephardic portuguese jewish parents, living in the netherlands due to the inquisition. He turned down rewards and honours throughout his life, including prestigious teaching positions. The ethics spinozas main work, is exposed as is a treatise on geometry. Practical philosophy by gilles deleuze, looking for spinoza. Western philosophy articles the book of life the school of life.
Along with rene descartes and gottfried leibniz, he is considered one of the great rationalists of the 17th century, although the breadth and importance of his work was not fully realized until years after his death. Spinozas philosophy is largely contained in two books. Schoenfeld would have said, in the language of modern disbelief, revealed. Affirming spinozas centrality for both critics and defenders of modernity, the book will be of value to students of political theory, philosophy, and intellectual. Transcendental idealism and immanence from jacobi to deleuze 2011 and spinoza s ethics. Today is the birthday of the philosopher benedict spinoza books by this author, born in amsterdam in 1632. This is the first complete biography of spinoza in any language and is based on detailed archival research. Since spinoza presents a radical alternative to the cartesian. Beth lord is senior lecturer in philosophy at the university of aberdeen. Philosophy as a way of life clare carlisle opinion. During this period spinoza also became acquainted with several collegiants, members of a nondogmatic and interdenominational sect with tendencies towards rationalism and arianism. We mean the philosophy of spinoza, a man whose very life is a picture of that moral purity and.
Key works about spinoza s critical role in the formation of modern jewish identity. Uncorrected paperswallace matson 4 excellent essays on spinoza start there. Life, work and philosophy of spinoza by baruch spinoza 2011, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Baruch spinoza aka benedict spinoza 1632 1677 was a dutch philosopher of portuguese jewish origin who lived and worked during the age of reason along with rene descartes and gottfried leibniz, he is considered one of the great rationalists of the 17th century, although the breadth and importance of his work was not fully realized until years after his death. It demonstrates that spinoza s intention was to free people from their unconscious and irrational passions so that they could learn to truly be themselves. Baruch spinoza can claim influence on both the enlightenment thinkers of the. He died at the age of 44 in 1677 from a lung illness, perhaps tuberculosis or. His ethics is an ethology, rather than a moral science.
Baruch spinoza was a seventeenthcentury dutch philosopher who tried to reinvent religion moving it away from something based on superstition and ideas of direct divine intervention to being a discipline that was far more impersonal, quasiscientific and yet also, at all times, serenely consoling. Baruch spinoza aka benedict spinoza 1632 1677 was a dutch philosopher of portuguese jewish origin who lived and worked during the age of reason. When he returned to the hague with presents from the prince, he was immediately accused of being in league with the. Spinoza opera, edited by carl gebhardt, 5 volumes heidelberg. Spinoza lived an outwardly simple life as an optical lens grinder, collaborating on microscope and telescope lens designs with constantijn and christiaan huygens. Spinoza, rejecting any divine transcendence, identifies and merges god and the nature. Aug 05, 2019 hans blumenberg, the relationship between nature and technology as a philosophical problem, trans. Baruch spinoza was a seventeenthcentury dutch philosopher who tried to reinvent religion moving it away from something based on superstition and ideas of. Beginning with an overview of spinozas life, michael della rocca carefully unpacks and explains spinozas philosophy. New philosophy books five books expert recommendations. Spinoza now is an important addition to a new strand of literature on philosopher baruch spinoza. Philosophy courses the new school for social research.
Oct 02, 2015 arthur schopenhauer was deeply influenced by buddhist thought and is in many ways the wests answer to it. Spinoza tried to replace the bible with a scientificallybased ethical. The intellectual love of wisdom is the true god, who is the immanent reality. Why philosophy wont go away, you combine philosophical arguments with characterisation and story. Spinozas book of life leads the reader through the basic teachings of spinozas ethics and his theologicalpolitical treatise. For some reason, i am reminded of daniel dennett, one of the greatest philosophers of our modern era, whose deep understanding of science informs his philosophy.
Spinozas theoretical philosophy is one of the most radical attempts to construct a pure ontology, with a single infinite substance, and all beings as the modes of being his substance. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Spinozas ethics, published in 1677, is considered his greatest work and one of historys most influential philosophical treatises. In accordance with the wishes of his father he studied theology, but soon showed a decided preference for free philosophical speculation. Spinoza s philosophy is largely contained in two books. When he returned to the hague with presents from the prince, he was immediately accused of being in league with the countrys enemy. Spinozas work and what are the importance of his work and how he influenced the people during the era of the 17 and 18th century reality of the nature and human life reality of the nature and human life philosophical methodology philosophical.
This page indexes writings of the philosopher baruch spinoza at sacredtexts. Rather excitingly, princeton university press has published george eliots translation of baruch spinozas ethics, which previously was quite hard to buy. This volume brings established scholars together with new voices to engage with the complex system of philosophy proposed by spinoza in his masterpiece. Jun 12, 2015 35 videos play all western philosophy the school of life. The former was published during his lifetime, but the latter, which contains the entirety of his philosophical system in its most rigorous form, was not published until after his death in 1677. Baruch spinoza the book of life the school of life. Baruch spinoza 16321677, is a dutch philosopher and has written the following works. The best philosophical novels five books expert recommendations. Early in the ethics spinoza argues that there is only one substance, which is absolutely infinite, selfcaused, and eternal. We generate progressive scholarship in the social sciences and philosophy. It is a strong collection of essays that are individually thoughtprovoking and collectively coherent, giving the widest possible overview of the interesting.
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