Why read Spinoza on Reason, Passions, and the Supreme Good?

Book cover of Spinoza on Reason, Passions, and the Supreme Good

Book description

Spinoza's thought is at the centre of an ever growing interest. Spinoza's moral philosophy, in particular, points to a radical way of understanding how human beings can become free and enjoy supreme happiness. And yet, there is still much disagreement about how exactly Spinoza's recipe is supposed to work. For…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Spinoza on Reason, Passions, and the Supreme Good as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Steven Nadler

Author

This is another important contribution to our understanding of Spinoza as a moral philosopher. It is a denser read than the first three books, but fascinating nonetheless for those already with a little Spinoza under their belt. Rather than concentrating on just the latter parts of the Ethics, where most scholars interested in Spinoza’s moral philosophy focus and where we find the mature discussion of the “free person” who lives under the “guidance of reason”, Sangiacomo is especially concerned with the evolution of Spinoza’s moral thought from his earliest writings to his final, uncompleted work. He considers tensions within,…

From Steven's list on Spinoza.