New Perspectives on Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise: Politics, Power and the Imagination

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New Perspectives on Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise

Politics, Power and the Imagination

Edited by: Dan Taylor and Marie Wuth

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

About this book

Brings together leading and emerging scholars of Spinoza across the world and across different interpretative and hermeneutic backgrounds for lively exchanges and pathbreaking analyses of an underappreciated keystone text in political thought

Illuminates a classic text in early modern philosophy and political thought with essays that explore its influences, key concepts and legacies
Explores three main themes - politics, power and imagination – in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise to introduce new perspectives on long-debated issues as well as contemporary topics in politics and philosophy
Brings Spinoza into conversation with contemporary approaches in political theory and affect studies and reflects the leading developments and state of the art in Spinoza studies

Published surreptitiously in 1670, Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise transformed early modern Europe, destabilising widely-held ideas about authority, prophecy and biblical scripture, while arguing for democracy, free speech and religious toleration. Dismissed by one contemporary as a book ‘forged in hell by the Devil himself’, and suppressed soon after publication, the Theologico-Political Treatise had a tremendous influence from the Enlightenment, to German Idealism, to late-20th century Marxism. Today, a growing interest in Spinoza’s political theory is connected to a longing for a counter-narrative to the Western tradition of philosophy and political thought, for which Spinoza is becoming a major point of reference. This collection brings together expert and early career perspectives on Spinoza’s politics of freedom, democracy, critique of religion and authority, the imagination, equality and violence. While providing valuable contextual material on the Theologico-Political Treatise on its 350th anniversary, the collection brings Spinoza’s politics into debate with contemporary political theory.

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
v

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Notes on Contributors
vii

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Prologue
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Preface
xiii
Susan James

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Introduction: Pestilence
xvii
Dan Taylor and Marie Wuth

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Abbreviations
xxxv

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Part I Politics
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1 Truth, Obedience and Freedom: Some Considerations on Spinoza’s Concept of Politics and its Relation with Philosophy
1
María Jimena Solé

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2 Hobbes and Spinoza on Natural Equality and Political Equilibrium
19
Beth Lord

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3 What Would the Practice of the Universal Faith in Democracy Look Like?
40
Ki-Myoung Kim

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4 God or Natura naturata? Spinoza on the Identity Between God and Nature
61
Antonio Salgado Borge

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5 Kissing the Ring: Power, Ingenium and Disposition
80
Dan Taylor

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6 Violence, Speech, and Deception in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise
98
Hasana Sharp

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7 Towards Spinoza’s Critique of Violence: On Sovereign Interruption and the Bodily Limits of Political Violence
115
Nicolas Lema Habash

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Part III Imagination
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8 Recognition–Rebellion–Freedom: Emergent Identities and Political Change in Spinoza
135
Steph Marston

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9 Daily Invectives: The State of Bitter Hate
153
Marie Wuth

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10 Imagination, Authority, and Admiratio in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Thought
172
Gil Morejón

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11 Spinoza’s True Prophecies: Justified Good Belief
189
Emanuele Costa

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Epilogue
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Roundtable on Democracy, Public Reasoning and the Education of the Imagination
209
Mogens Lærke, Martin Saar and Dan Taylor

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Works Cited
240

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Index
253

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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

March 7, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9781399539296

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

296

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781399539296

eBook ISBN: 9781399539296

Keywords for this book

Philosophy

Audience(s) for this book

For universities and colleges of further and higher education

Edinburgh University Press

New Perspectives on Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise

Overview

About this book

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

Notes on Contributors

Preface

Introduction: Pestilence

Abbreviations

1 Truth, Obedience and Freedom: Some Considerations on Spinoza’s Concept of Politics and its Relation with Philosophy

2 Hobbes and Spinoza on Natural Equality and Political Equilibrium

3 What Would the Practice of the Universal Faith in Democracy Look Like?

4 God or Natura naturata? Spinoza on the Identity Between God and Nature

5 Kissing the Ring: Power, Ingenium and Disposition

6 Violence, Speech, and Deception in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise

7 Towards Spinoza’s Critique of Violence: On Sovereign Interruption and the Bodily Limits of Political Violence

8 Recognition–Rebellion–Freedom: Emergent Identities and Political Change in Spinoza

9 Daily Invectives: The State of Bitter Hate

10 Imagination, Authority, and Admiratio in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Thought

11 Spinoza’s True Prophecies: Justified Good Belief

Roundtable on Democracy, Public Reasoning and the Education of the Imagination

Works Cited

Index

Bibliographic data