Collective Imaginings

by Moira Gatens, Genevieve Lloyd

Why would the work of the 17th century philosopher Benedict de Spinoza concern us today? How can Spinoza shed any light on contemporary thought?
In this intriguing book, Moira Gatens and Genevieve Lloyd show us that in spite of or rather because of Spinoza's apparent strangeness, his philosophy can be a rich resource for cultural self-understanding in the present.
Collective Imaginings draws on recent re-assessments of the philosophy of Spinoza to develop new ways of conceptualising issues of freedom and difference. This ground-breaking study will be invaluable reading to anyone wishing to gain a fresh perspective on Spinoza's thought.

Genres: Philosophy

178 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 1999

Reviews

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Spinoza always tends to elicit a kind of visceral recoil from me, if only because of that insufferable more geometrico style, but this book for the first time has actually made me hungry to read him again. It's a beautifully written piece of work, approaching Spinoza's philosophy from the twin angles of philosophical history and political theory, all while letting it breathe in an atmosphere wholly its own.

That said, its always strange revisiting works of political theory from the 90s, when the liberalism/communitarianism debate was raging hot; the total absence of any consideration of class and capital sticks out like a sore - much too sore - thumb. It's not the book's 'fault' - its very much of its time - but it shows just how different the conversation is now, nearly twenty years on.

[Ghm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A carefully written argument. It under 200 pages it explains the philosophical influences on Spinoza's writing, his historical moment, and ways to imagine in it our own time. While the book was written 1999 I find many threads that link it to 2020's political issues. In particular the later chapters (5 and 6) consider important power differentials as regards gender, race, and indigeneity in present governmental and legal practice.