Collective Imaginings: Spinoza, Past and Present [Hardcover]

Moira Gatens (Author), Genevieve Lloyd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415165709 | ISBN-13: 978-0415165709 | Publication Date: September 17, 1999 | Edition: 1

Why would the work of the 17th century philosopher Benedict de Spinoza concern us today? How can Spinoza shed any light on contemporary thought?
In this intriguing book, Moira Gatens and Genevieve Lloyd show us that in spite of or rather because of Spinoza's apparent strangeness, his philosophy can be a rich resource for cultural self-understanding in the present.
Collective Imaginings draws on recent re-assessments of the philosophy of Spinoza to develop new ways of conceptualising issues of freedom and difference. This ground-breaking study will be invaluable reading to anyone wishing to gain a fresh perspective on Spinoza's thought.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In this erudite, elegantly written work, Lloyd and Gatens produce a critical genealogical reading of Spinoza's philosophy, out of which they craft an innovative conceptual apparatus designed to enable engagement with such vital contemporary issues as freedom and responsibility, difference and diversity. The book is remarkably accessible to readers new to Spinoza, and provocative in offering its readers a way of thinking seriously about imagination, social fictions, and the power of collective critique. Lorraine Code, Professor of Philosophy, York University, Toronto Canada.

About the Author

Moira Gatens, author of Imaginary Bodies, Ethics, Power, and Corporeality (Routledge, 1996), is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney. Genevieve Lloyd is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales and author most recently of Spinoza and the Ethics (Routledge, 1996).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415165709
• ISBN-13: 978-0415165709
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,175,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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