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Spinoza and Other Heretics, Volume 2: The Adventures of Immanence
This ambitious study presents Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) as the most outstanding and influential thinker of modernity--and examines the question of whether he was the "first secular Jew." A number-one bestseller in Israel, "Spinoza and Other Heretics" is made up of two volumes--The Marrano of Reason and The Adventures of Immanence. Yirmiyahu Yovel shows how Spinoza grounded a philosophical revolution in a radically new principlethe philosophy of immanence, or the idea that this world is all there is--and how he thereby anticipated secularization, the Enlightenment, the disintegration of ghetto life, and the rise of natural science and the liberal-democratic state.
The Adventures of Immanence
Here Yovel discloses the presence of Spinoza's philosophical revolution in the work of later thinkers who helped shape the modern mind. He claims it is no accident that some of the most unorthodox and innovative figures in the past two centuries--including Goethe, Kant, Hegel, Heine, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Einstein--were profoundly influenced by Spinoza and shared his view that immanent reality is the only source of valid social and political norms and that recognizing this fact is necessary for human liberation.
But what is immanent reality, and how is liberation to be construed? In a work that constitutes a retelling of much of Western intellectual history, Yovel analyzes the rival answers given to these questions and, in so doing, provides a fresh view of a wide range of individual thinkers.
The Adventures of Immanence
Here Yovel discloses the presence of Spinoza's philosophical revolution in the work of later thinkers who helped shape the modern mind. He claims it is no accident that some of the most unorthodox and innovative figures in the past two centuries--including Goethe, Kant, Hegel, Heine, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Einstein--were profoundly influenced by Spinoza and shared his view that immanent reality is the only source of valid social and political norms and that recognizing this fact is necessary for human liberation.
But what is immanent reality, and how is liberation to be construed? In a work that constitutes a retelling of much of Western intellectual history, Yovel analyzes the rival answers given to these questions and, in so doing, provides a fresh view of a wide range of individual thinkers.
- GenresPhilosophyHistory
248 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1989
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November 15, 2024
Spinoza And The Adventures Of Immanence
This book "The Adventures of Immanence" is the second in a two-volume study "Spinoza and Other Heretics" by the Israeli philosopher Yirmiyahu Yovel (1935-- 2018). Yovel argues that Spinoza was a major figure in Western thought who developed what Yovel calls the "philosophy of immanence". The goal of the two volumes is to examine the nature of the philosophy of immanence. In the first volume "The Marrano of Reason" Yovel argues that Marranism -- Jews who converted to Catholicism under duress during the Inquisition, practiced Judaism in secret, and ultimately returned to Judaism -- was a critical factor personally and philosophically in Spinoza's thought. In the second volume, which is reviewed here, Yovel takes Spinoza's philosophy of immanence through subsequent thinkers to try to show how they both built upon and disagreed with Spinoza.
It is important to understand what Yovel means by the philosophy of immanence. He says at the outset that immanence "views this-worldly existence as the only actual being, and the unique source of ethical value and political authority. All being is this-worldly and there is nothing beyond it, neither a personal creator-God who imposes His divine will on man, nor supernatural powers or values of any kind. The laws of morality and politics too, and even religion, stem from this world by the natural powers of reason: and recognizing this is the prelude and pre-condition for human emancipation." The philosophy of immanence challenges the theistic views of major Western religions and is closely related to naturalism and secularization, two other difficult concepts.
With this basic discussion of immanence, Yovel points out that there are many questions and possible ways of construing it. Some of these difficulties were apparent in Yovel's first volume, but the come to the forefront in this second volume. Again, it is useful to read Yovel's own summary of these difficulties:
"[O]ne can still argue about the adequate way to construe the world of immanence. For example (1) is it Nature, as in Spinoza, or rather Spirit, History, Wille, or any such other metaphysical construction? (2) Should it be individuated as a single, infinite totality? (3) Should it also be deified?
(4) What structure applies to it: mechanical causality, organic purposiveness, dialectical logic-- or a much more fluid and flexible model? (5) Does it have this structure eternally? Is our Spinozistic quest for fixed, eternal laws well-founded or rather a pre-philosophical bias, perhaps the vestige of theological thinking? (6) Should the human being (either as a subject, or as a natural species be assigned a special position within the world of immanence? If so, in what capacity? And how is the role of human history affected by answering the former question? (7) Should human liberation (which presupposes the immanent revolution) translate the religious view of salvation into an equally absolute secular eschatology, or should it (by its very secularity) be confined to a humbler version, restrained by critical boundaries."
Yovel explores these daunting questions in the body of his book. In six chapters, he compares and contrasts the thought of Spinoza with other important, difficult thinkers with a crucial imprint on the modern world. In the first and most important chapter, Yovel discusses Spinoza and Kant and their approaches to Biblical interpretation. Yovel argues that Kant developed a critical as opposed to a dogmatic philosophy of immanence found in Spinoza. In the second chapter, Yovel discusses Hegel and his many similarities to and differences from Spinoza. Hegel pointed to difficulties in Spinoza's theory of one eternal substance and developed a complex metaphysics of subject. The third chapter discusses efforts to naturalize Hegel in the works of Heine, Hess, and Feuerbach while the fourth chapter offers a consideration of Marx as "Man-in-Nature and the Science of Redemption". In the fifth chapter, Yovel considers Nietzsche and his philosophy of finitude. Yovel contrasts Spinoza's understanding of "the intellectual love of God" with Nietzsche's treatment of "amor fati" or loving one's destiny. In chapter six, Yovel compares Spinoza immanence to that of Freud with its distinctly less ambitious but naturalistically based goals.
In the final chapter of the book, Yovel shifts from comparisons between Spinoza and other thinkers. He works to state a philosophy of his own based upon what he has learned from the study. He develops what he terms a critical philosophy of immanence which is not based upon the global, absolute character of reason, as in Spinoza but rather is based upon human finitude. He tries to develop his own answers to the seven questions discussed earlier in this review. Most importantly, he discusses what he terms the "status of transcendence" and argues that transcendence cannot be ruled out in the manner of Spinoza. This is because, as Kant said, human knowledge unavoidably poses transcendent questions that it is unable to answer. Yovel writes that "[C]ritical rationality requires maintaining the mind''s transcendent quest along with the recognition that it cannot be fulfilled. It thereby creates an unfulfilled gap, a void of tension, which is the mark of human finitude and a distinctive feature of the critical philosopher."
I learned a great deal from revisiting Yovel's study of Spinoza after many years. It reminded me of what I have learned from Spinoza and what I have learned as well from other thinkers. The books are difficult and cover a great deal of material quickly in the relatively short scopes but are moving in their erudition and passion for their subject The books are accessible, with patience, to readers without a strong background in studying philosophy. They offer a great deal of insight both into philosophy and into Judaism as well. Much can be learned by thinking about Spinoza's philosophy of immanence for contemporary life and in contemporary thought.
Robin Friedman
This book "The Adventures of Immanence" is the second in a two-volume study "Spinoza and Other Heretics" by the Israeli philosopher Yirmiyahu Yovel (1935-- 2018). Yovel argues that Spinoza was a major figure in Western thought who developed what Yovel calls the "philosophy of immanence". The goal of the two volumes is to examine the nature of the philosophy of immanence. In the first volume "The Marrano of Reason" Yovel argues that Marranism -- Jews who converted to Catholicism under duress during the Inquisition, practiced Judaism in secret, and ultimately returned to Judaism -- was a critical factor personally and philosophically in Spinoza's thought. In the second volume, which is reviewed here, Yovel takes Spinoza's philosophy of immanence through subsequent thinkers to try to show how they both built upon and disagreed with Spinoza.
It is important to understand what Yovel means by the philosophy of immanence. He says at the outset that immanence "views this-worldly existence as the only actual being, and the unique source of ethical value and political authority. All being is this-worldly and there is nothing beyond it, neither a personal creator-God who imposes His divine will on man, nor supernatural powers or values of any kind. The laws of morality and politics too, and even religion, stem from this world by the natural powers of reason: and recognizing this is the prelude and pre-condition for human emancipation." The philosophy of immanence challenges the theistic views of major Western religions and is closely related to naturalism and secularization, two other difficult concepts.
With this basic discussion of immanence, Yovel points out that there are many questions and possible ways of construing it. Some of these difficulties were apparent in Yovel's first volume, but the come to the forefront in this second volume. Again, it is useful to read Yovel's own summary of these difficulties:
"[O]ne can still argue about the adequate way to construe the world of immanence. For example (1) is it Nature, as in Spinoza, or rather Spirit, History, Wille, or any such other metaphysical construction? (2) Should it be individuated as a single, infinite totality? (3) Should it also be deified?
(4) What structure applies to it: mechanical causality, organic purposiveness, dialectical logic-- or a much more fluid and flexible model? (5) Does it have this structure eternally? Is our Spinozistic quest for fixed, eternal laws well-founded or rather a pre-philosophical bias, perhaps the vestige of theological thinking? (6) Should the human being (either as a subject, or as a natural species be assigned a special position within the world of immanence? If so, in what capacity? And how is the role of human history affected by answering the former question? (7) Should human liberation (which presupposes the immanent revolution) translate the religious view of salvation into an equally absolute secular eschatology, or should it (by its very secularity) be confined to a humbler version, restrained by critical boundaries."
Yovel explores these daunting questions in the body of his book. In six chapters, he compares and contrasts the thought of Spinoza with other important, difficult thinkers with a crucial imprint on the modern world. In the first and most important chapter, Yovel discusses Spinoza and Kant and their approaches to Biblical interpretation. Yovel argues that Kant developed a critical as opposed to a dogmatic philosophy of immanence found in Spinoza. In the second chapter, Yovel discusses Hegel and his many similarities to and differences from Spinoza. Hegel pointed to difficulties in Spinoza's theory of one eternal substance and developed a complex metaphysics of subject. The third chapter discusses efforts to naturalize Hegel in the works of Heine, Hess, and Feuerbach while the fourth chapter offers a consideration of Marx as "Man-in-Nature and the Science of Redemption". In the fifth chapter, Yovel considers Nietzsche and his philosophy of finitude. Yovel contrasts Spinoza's understanding of "the intellectual love of God" with Nietzsche's treatment of "amor fati" or loving one's destiny. In chapter six, Yovel compares Spinoza immanence to that of Freud with its distinctly less ambitious but naturalistically based goals.
In the final chapter of the book, Yovel shifts from comparisons between Spinoza and other thinkers. He works to state a philosophy of his own based upon what he has learned from the study. He develops what he terms a critical philosophy of immanence which is not based upon the global, absolute character of reason, as in Spinoza but rather is based upon human finitude. He tries to develop his own answers to the seven questions discussed earlier in this review. Most importantly, he discusses what he terms the "status of transcendence" and argues that transcendence cannot be ruled out in the manner of Spinoza. This is because, as Kant said, human knowledge unavoidably poses transcendent questions that it is unable to answer. Yovel writes that "[C]ritical rationality requires maintaining the mind''s transcendent quest along with the recognition that it cannot be fulfilled. It thereby creates an unfulfilled gap, a void of tension, which is the mark of human finitude and a distinctive feature of the critical philosopher."
I learned a great deal from revisiting Yovel's study of Spinoza after many years. It reminded me of what I have learned from Spinoza and what I have learned as well from other thinkers. The books are difficult and cover a great deal of material quickly in the relatively short scopes but are moving in their erudition and passion for their subject The books are accessible, with patience, to readers without a strong background in studying philosophy. They offer a great deal of insight both into philosophy and into Judaism as well. Much can be learned by thinking about Spinoza's philosophy of immanence for contemporary life and in contemporary thought.
Robin Friedman
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September 23, 2010"Spinoza and Other Heretics, Volume 2: The Adventures of Immanence by Yirmiyahu Yovel (1992)"
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