An Introduction to the Philosophy of Spinoza

Description

Aimed at those new to studying Spinoza, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to his thought, placing it in its historical and philosophical contexts, and assessing its critical reception. In addition to providing an analysis of Spinoza's metaphysical, epistemological, psychological, and ethical views in the Ethics, Henry Allison also explores his political theory and revolutionary views on the Bible, as well as his account of Judaism, which led to the excommunication of the young Spinoza from the Jewish community in Amsterdam. Although the book's main focus is on the analysis of Spinoza's views, including a close reading of the central arguments of the Ethics, it also considers many of the standard objections to these arguments as well as possible responses to them. This completely revised and updated new edition of Allison's classic book, with two new chapters, will help a new generation of students to understand and value Spinoza's work.

Henry E. Allison is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego and Boston University. He has published 14 books, most recently Kant's Conception of Freedom: A Developmental and Critical Analysis (Cambridge University Press, 2020). He is a former President of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association, winner of the International Kant Prize (2005), and De Gruyter Kant Prize Lecturer (2014).