A Theologico-Political Treatise, and a Political TreatiseIf men's minds were as easily controlled as their tongues, every king would sit safely on his throne, and government by compulsion would cease; for every subject would shape his life according to the intentions of his rulers, and would esteem a thing as true or false, good or evil, just or unjust, in obedience with their dictates.-from "That in a Free State Every Man May Thing What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks"An early voice calling for reason as the ruler of the human mind, and a man with, at best, a Deistic outlook on religion, Spinoza is perhaps the first truly modern philosopher. He is certainly the first modern critic of the Bible. His devoted adherents include many great names of 19th-century literature: Goethe, Coleridge, Shelley, and George Eliot were deeply swayed by his writing; in the 20th century, Albert Einstein claimed Spinoza's deterministic outlook as an abiding influence; understanding the writings of all these figures is greatly enhanced by an appreciation of Spinoza. In Theologico-Political Treatise, first published anonymously in 1670, Spinoza rails against religious intolerance and calls for governments to be entirely secular. His Political Treatise, unfinished at his death, was published only posthumously, and deals with democratic government. Dutch philosopher BENEDICT DE SPINOZA (1632-1677), alternately and paradoxically known as "the best Jew" and "the best atheist," is best known for his Ethics. |
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Page
... Jews . Chap . IV . Of the Divine Law . འཚཆེ ཆེ ཆེ་ ཚེ་ ཚེ 43 48 49 53 £ 4 57 Laws either depend on natural necessity or on human decree . The existence of the latter not inconsistent with the former class of laws 57 Divine law a kind of ...
... Jews . Chap . IV . Of the Divine Law . འཚཆེ ཆེ ཆེ་ ཚེ་ ཚེ 43 48 49 53 £ 4 57 Laws either depend on natural necessity or on human decree . The existence of the latter not inconsistent with the former class of laws 57 Divine law a kind of ...
Page iii
... Jews after the Exodus Changed first to a pure democratic Theocracy • 218 219 Then to subjection to Moses . 220 Then to a Theocracy with the power divided between the high priest and the captains 221 The tribes confederate States 224 ...
... Jews after the Exodus Changed first to a pure democratic Theocracy • 218 219 Then to subjection to Moses . 220 Then to a Theocracy with the power divided between the high priest and the captains 221 The tribes confederate States 224 ...
Page x
... Jews , who had sought a refuge in the Netherlands from the rigours of the Inquisition in the Peninsula . Though ... Jewish High School , under the guidance of Mor- teira , a learned Talmudist , and possibly of the brilliant French and ...
... Jews , who had sought a refuge in the Netherlands from the rigours of the Inquisition in the Peninsula . Though ... Jewish High School , under the guidance of Mor- teira , a learned Talmudist , and possibly of the brilliant French and ...
Page xi
... Jews to England , the young Spinoza was instructed in the learn- ing of the Hebrews , the mysteries of the Talmud ... Jewish curricu- lum , being tainted with the suspicion of heterodoxy , but Spinoza , feeling probably that it was the ...
... Jews to England , the young Spinoza was instructed in the learn- ing of the Hebrews , the mysteries of the Talmud ... Jewish curricu- lum , being tainted with the suspicion of heterodoxy , but Spinoza , feeling probably that it was the ...
Page xii
... Jewish student was overtaken by that mental crisis , which has come over so many lesser men before and since . The creed of his fathers was found un- equal to the strain of his own wider knowledge and changed spiritual needs . The ...
... Jewish student was overtaken by that mental crisis , which has come over so many lesser men before and since . The creed of his fathers was found un- equal to the strain of his own wider knowledge and changed spiritual needs . The ...
Contents
4 | |
Of Prophets | 14 |
Variation of prophecy with the temperament and opinions | 30 |
X | 32 |
xii | 41 |
xiii | 51 |
Testimony of the New Testament | 72 |
xiv | 75 |
The author declines to undertake a similar detailed examina | 157 |
Causes that have led the author to write | 162 |
Of the true Original of the Divine Law and where | 165 |
It is shown that Scripture teaches only very Simple | 175 |
Definitions of Faith the True Faith and | 182 |
Of the Foundations of a State of the Natural | 200 |
as it was during the lifetime of Moses and after his death | 214 |
From the Commonwealth of the Hebrews and their | 237 |
Contents | 77 |
Of Miracles | 81 |
Of the authorship of the Pentateuch and the other | 89 |
XV | 91 |
998885 | 100 |
xvi | 124 |
Traces of late authorship in the other historical books | 127 |
That there are many doubtful readings | 133 |
An Examination of the remaining books of the | 146 |
Sketch of Spinozas philosophy | 148 |
It is shown that the Right over Matters Spiritual lies | 245 |
Why Christian States unlike the Hebrew suffer from dis | 254 |
Of Prophecy | 269 |
Prophets perceived revelation by imagination | 275 |
Introduction II Of Natural Right III Of the Right of Supreme Authorities | 283 |
Of the Functions of Supreme Authorities V Of the Best State of a Dominion VI Of Monarchy VII Of Monarchy | 284 |
Of Aristocracy IX Of Aristocracy X Of Aristocracy | 285 |
Of Democracy Continuation Continuation Conclusion PAGE | 286 |
287 | 291 |
Other editions - View all
A Theologico-Political Treatise, and a Political Treatise Benedictus de Spinoza Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
absolutely according Apostles assert authority believe Bible blessedness book of Samuel books of Kings bound called cause chap chapter Christ citizens clearly command commonwealth conceived conclusion contrary council covenant Decalogue decree Deut Divine law doctrine dominion doubt easily eternal evil explain expressly Ezekiel Ezra fact faith fear follows further Gentiles God's Hebrews high priest human inasmuch instance interpretation Isaiah Israelites Jehoram Jews Joshua judge king knowledge Lastly law of Moses liberty live Lord Maimonides matters means mind miracles monarch Moses narrative nations natural right never obedience obey Old Testament opinions passages patricians peace Pentateuch Pharisees piety plainly possessed preach preserve prophecy prophets reason reign religion revealed rulers sacred Scrip Scripture shown solely sovereign power speak Spinoza Spirit supreme teach things tion true truth understanding unto verse virtue Wherefore whole wished words worship writings written