Spinoza on Philosophy, Religion, and Politics: The Theologico-Political Treatise

by Susan James

Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise is simultaneously a work of philosophy and a piece of practical politics. It defends religious pluralism, a republican form of political organisation, and the freedom to philosophise, with a determination that is extremely rare in seventeenth-century thought. But it is also a fierce and polemical intervention in a series of Dutch disputes over issues about which Spinoza and his opponents cared very deeply.
Susan James makes the arguments of the Treatise accessible, and their motivations plain, by setting them in their historical and philosophical context. She identifies the interlocking theological, hermeneutic, historical, philosophical, and political positions to which Spinoza was responding, shows who he aimed to discredit, and reveals what he intended to achieve. The immediate goal of the Treatise is, she establishes, a local one. Spinoza is trying to persuade his fellow citizens that it is vital to uphold and foster conditions in which they can cultivate their capacity to live rationally, free from the political manifestations and corrosive psychological effects of superstitious fear. At the same time, however, his radical argument is designed for a broader audience. Appealing to the universal philosophical principles that he develops in greater detail in his Ethics , and drawing on the resources of imagination to make them forceful and compelling, Spinoza speaks to the inhabitants
of all societies, including our own. Only in certain political circumstances is it possible to philosophise, and learn to live wisely and well.

Genres: Philosophy

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Susan James FBA (born 1951) is a British professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College London. She has previously taught at the University of Connecticut and the University of Cambridge. She is well known for her work on the history of seventeenth and eighteenth-century philosophy.

Reviews

[Zelai Xu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very pleasant surprise. An amazing commentary on TTP.

[Ericka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting so long for Susan James' book on Spinoza's political theory, that I may be the wrong person to review this book. I wanted a more systematic theory of Spinoza's political thought. Instead, James has offered us a really excellent, coherent and compelling commentary to the Theological-Political Treatise. This is an incredibly useful book. Spinoza scholars will not be surprised by much, but those seeking a better understanding of Spinoza and of this work will be well served by it.

One pet peeve -- the constant reference to 'The Treatise' as if there were only one! Spinoza had at least 4 'Treatises' (TIE, KV, TTP, TP) and two treatises on politics (TTP and TP). As someone who works on the TP, I found this irritating.