Spinoza and the Freedom of Philosophizing

This study considers freedom of speech and the rules of engagement in the public sphere; good government, civic responsibility, and public education; and the foundations of religion and society, as seen through the eyes of seventeenth-century Dutch philosopher, Spinoza.

List of contents

• A Note on Texts, Translations, and Abbreviations


• 1: Introduction


• 2: Circles and Spheres of Free Philosophizing


• 3: Philosophizing


• 4: The Apostolic Styles


• 5: Authority


• 6: Prejudice, Deception, Flattery


• 7: Counsel, Collegiality, and Democracy


• 8: Education


• 9: Foundations I: Universal Faith


• 10: Foundations II: The Contract


• 11: The Right Concerning Sacred Matters


• 12: Conclusion: The Dutch Public Sphere


• Bibliography


• Index

About the author

Mogens Lærke is Senior Researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), a fellow at the Maison Française d'Oxford (MFO), and member of the research institute IHRIM at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. A specialist in early modern philosophy, notably Leibniz and Spinoza, he has published widely on early modern metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy. He is the managing editor of the BSHP New Texts in the History of Philosophy series from Oxford University Press.

Summary

This study considers freedom of speech and the rules of engagement in the public sphere; good government, civic responsibility, and public education; and the foundations of religion and society, as seen through the eyes of seventeenth-century Dutch philosopher, Spinoza.

Additional text

Elegantly constructed and written, Lærke's study is well worth reading and rereading as a major contribution to the lively area of Spinoza scholarship.

Product details

• Authors: Mogens Lærke, Mogens (Senior Researcher Lrke
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 25.02.2021
• EAN: 9780192895417
• ISBN: 978-0-19-289541-7
• No. of pages: 400
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; History of Ideas, PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, PHILOSOPHY / Religious, Theology, Christianity, Christian theology, Netherlands, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, 17th century, c 1600 to c 1699, Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900, Philosophical traditions and schools of thought, C 1600 To C 1700