Theological-Political Treatise

by Baruch Spinoza

Book Overview

The second edition incorporates Samuel Shirley's pre-eminent translation with corrections of the typographical errors of its first edition, and a new general index. Seymour Feldman has contributed a new Bibliography and notes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0872206076
• ISBN13: 9780872206076
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Invaluable addition to any Spinoza Library

This is a wonderful translation of one of Benedict De Spinoza's most important works. Here he explains in great detail not only the Biblical exegesis for which he was excommunicated, but also expounds with great richness and unique insight on political systems. A seminal work in the history of thought, providing marvelous insight into one of the great minds in human history. A very good introduction goes very thoroughly into detail about the discrepancies between what he published and what he might truly have thought.

The book every Bible student should read

First published in 1670, this is the book that every Bible student, theologian and evangelical Christian should read. Spinoza's excellent knowledge of languages - he mastered Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, German and Hebrew - gave him an unparalleled linguistic access to virtually all the latest works of Hebraic and Christian philosophy. In A Theologico-Political Treatise, he applies his knowledge and scholarship - both of which soar far above that of all modern Bible commentators - to questions concerning the interpretation and authorship of Scripture. He is unafraid to tackle the most difficult questions that most others ignore or gloss over. The scope of the book is immense. Spinoza writes on prophecy and prophets, divine law and miracles, the apostolic mission and the definition of faith. He shows how the Pentateuch could not have been written entirely by Moses, as it describes events that occurred after Moses' death. He discusses Old Testament prophecy and points out the inconsistencies to be found in the writings of Old Testament prophets. (For example: God is said never to repent of anything by one prophet, but to repent of his decisions by another.) Spinoza questions the claim of the Jews to be a chosen people. He distinguishes faith from philosophy. He shows how ancient Hebrew texts can be translated in different ways. He asserts that while the Old Testament is concerned with history and prophecy, the New Testament is concerned with teaching. One point that came across strongly to me was that it was the Pharisees who decided which writings to include in the Torah, just the prelates of the Roman Catholic Church decided which writings to include in the New Testament. The shocking truth of the matter is that the entire content of what is known as the `Holy Bible' is an assemblage of books put together in one binding as a result of decisions made by authoritarian committees. (Remember: Jesus called the Pharisees a generation of vipers.) Another passage (on page 25) that jumped out of the page at me sums up Spinoza's philosophy: `Everything takes place by the power of God. Nature herself is the power of God under another name and our ignorance of the power of God is co-extensive with our ignorance of the power of Nature.' The Political Treatise is concerned with Freedom of Speech, the Monarchy, Democracy and human rights. In it, Spinoza sets out much of what we now take for granted. In particular, he says that no nation should invade another sovereign state. George W. Bush and Tony Blair take note. Basic Flying Instruction: A Comprehensive Introduction to Western Philosophy A Good Boy Tomorrow: Memoirs of A Fundamentalist Upbringing

A deconstruction of the bible as a plea for religious freedom

This book came out in 1670 in a Holland that was a haven of freedom in a Europe under religious terror. Spinoza's relatives in Portugal had been murdered by the inquisition. When he was born, German catholics and protestants were fighting a 30-year war that cut Germany's population in half. 20 years before in Italy, Giordano Bruno had been burned at the stake for heresy, and France had been ravaged by its 16th-century religious wars. Religious violence abated only slowly after Spinoza's death, with the Salem witchcraft trials 16 years later. On 7/1/1766, after failing to salute a catholic procession in Paris, an 19-year old boy had his tongue pulled out, and was beheaded and burned with a copy of a book found in his room! Today's death threats to Danish cartoonists hint at what Spinoza's world was like, and the courage it took for him to confront it. Besides living in Holland, Spinoza further protected his freedom by staying single, living with the bare minimum of possessions, and seeking no official post or recognition. The point of this book, as announced in the preface, is that, as was practiced in his beloved Dutch republic, freedom of religion can be granted without prejudice to public peace and that, "without such freedom, piety cannot flourish nor the public peace be secure." Today, this point is obvious: the G7 countries, all have freedom of religion, and five of them -- the US, Japan, France, Italy and Canada -- have separation of church and state. In Spinoza's day, it wasn't, and he couldn't make his case based on empirical evidence. Instead, he makes it by deconstructing the Bible using Descartes' method, which is an astonishing choice. If Machiavelli, for example, had undertaken to prove the same point, he certainly would not have done it this way. Spinoza spent his childhood memorizing the Torah in Hebrew, at the time and in the city where Descartes lived, and his fascination with Descartes is obvious even if their metaphysics disagree. One of Descartes' own applications of his method was on the art of cutting glasses for optics, which is how Spinoza earned his modest living. Among the many astonishing finds in this book is how, by simply reasoning on the original text, Spinoza arrived at conclusions on the authorship of the early books of the bible that nearly match those of modern scholars like Abba Eban, who have had full access to archeological evidence.

A monastic coherence of a humble genius

The life of Benedict Spinoza is unique in itself and is the coherent background to everything he wrote, which contradisdicted his family origin. First of all, his name was not originally Benedict but Baruch, which is Hebrew for Benedict("the blessed one"). Second, he was the son of a well-to-do Spanish or Portuguese family who had to imigrate to the then United States of the Netherlands to escape the persecution of the Catholic Holy Inquisition, which was at its heyday in Spain and Portugal. It was in the famous tradition of Holland's liberal thinking that he grew up and began his philosophical studies, which were latter to be the foudation for great philosophers like Hegel. Third, as soon as he could, he abrogated the Jewish religion and his Jewish origins and was then anathemized ever since by the Jewish community and by his own family, to the point of being barred to share his fathers' inheritance. He appealed to court, won the case, and voluntarily did not take possession of the money. Fourth, in the tradition of a few great philosophers (Rousseau among them), he disdained all the luxuries and prestige his intellect could bring him and prefered to work as a shoemaker , devoting much of his time to his philosophical thinking, particularly targeted to some tenets of the Jewish and Catholic religions. Sure, there is many more to tell from this unique philosopher, but the reader can be sure that this is the very appeal of the book and is mirrored all the time in his reflexions. His lack of a superior knowledge of Latin, the language in which the text was originally written in the very tradition of the time, allows the reader an easy understanding of the content Spinoza tries to convey, whithout in any way jeopardizing the strenght of the philosopher's arguments. In the book, which was never his intention to be published in his lifetime, he addresses many religious and philosophical questions and one is appaled by the apparent easiness with which the philosophers runs down a lot of religious dogmas, both Jewish and Catholic, whithout any possiblity of being considered heretic. Take, for instance, the logic with which he approaches miracles, and the reader will be astounded by the clearness of his arguments, originally developed in Latin (one of the more than 8 languages he was able to read or read/write). Also of importance is the characterization of the differences between apostles and prophets, and many more. His vision of the best way politics should be conducted - he favored his concept of democracy - is less strong but none the less interesting. This is a seminal book for everyone interested in the foundations of the modern philosophical thinking where Spinoza occupies a very important place.

Review Error

I am the author of the May 1999 review that faults the typsetting of the Hebrew in Spinoza's notes.You have attached my review to the wrong translation.The review applies to the Samuel Shirley translation reprinted in 1998 by Hackett Publishing Company, ISBN 0-87220-398-0.You originally had it attached to the correct edition. How did it get here?Please fix it. I don't want to libel Mr Ewes.