In what sense is Spinoza a democrat?
In what sense is Spinoza a democrat?
Preliminary Reading:
Benedict de Spinoza, Political Treatise, Chapters 2 and 3.
Guiding Questions:
How is the power of Spinoza’s sovereign related to the power of the people?
Is the first sort of power dependent on the second? If so, how? Is it the same as the second?
Additional Reading:
Moira Gatens, “Spinoza’s Disturbing Thesis. Power, Norms and Fiction in the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus”, History of Political Thought , 30.3 (2009), 455-68.
Mark Kelly and Dmitris Vardoulakis, “Balibar and Transindividuality”, Australasian Philosophical Review, 2.1 (2018).
Martin Saar, “Spinoza and the Political Imaginary”, Qui Parle, 2015.
Martin Saar, “Democracy” in Andre Santos Campos (ed.), Spinoza. Basic Concepts
Susan James, “Democracy and the Good Life in Spinoza’s Philosophy”, in Spinoza on Learning to Live Together (OUP, 2020).