From Pulitzer Prize-finalist Steven Nadler, an engaging guide to what
Spinoza can teach us about life’s big questions In 1656, after being
excommunicated from Amsterdam’s Portuguese-Jewish community for
“abominable heresies” and “monstrous deeds,” the young Baruch
Spinoza abandoned his family’s import business to dedicate his life
to philosophy. He quickly became notorious across Europe for his views
on God, the Bible, and miracles, as well as for his uncompromising
defense of free thought. Yet the radicalism of Spinoza’s views has
long obscured that his primary reason for turning to philosophy was to
answer one of humanity’s most urgent questions: How can we lead a
good life and enjoy happiness in a world without a providential God?
In Think Least of Death, Pulitzer Prize–finalist Steven Nadler
connects Spinoza’s ideas with his life and times to offer a
compelling account of how the philosopher can provide a guide to
living one’s best life. In the Ethics, Spinoza presents his vision
of the ideal human being, the “free person” who, motivated by
reason, lives a life of joy devoted to what is most
important—improving oneself and others. Untroubled by passions such
as hate, greed, and envy, free people treat others with benevolence,
justice, and charity. Focusing on the rewards of goodness, they enjoy
the pleasures of this world, but in moderation. “The free person
thinks least of all of death,” Spinoza writes, “and his wisdom is
a meditation not on death but on life." An unmatched introduction to
Spinoza’s moral philosophy, Think Least of Death shows how his ideas
still provide valuable insights about how to live today.
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Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780691207681
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter