A Theologico-Political Treatise / A Political Treatise (v. 1) [Paperback]

Benedict de Spinoza (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1951

Rational examination of the Old Testament to show that freedom of thought and speech is consistent with the religious life. True religion consists in practice of simple piety, independent of philosophical speculation. Also unfinished essay on theory of government founded on common consent. One of Spinoza’s most important works. R. Elwes translation.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 421 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 1, 1951)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486202496
• ISBN-13: 978-0486202495
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spinoza at his best., May 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Theologico-Political Treatise / A Political Treatise (v. 1) (Paperback)

The Theologico-Political Treatise is often advertised as a manifesto for religious freedom. If that were all, it would hardly be worthwhile for a Westerner to read it these days. In fact, it may be Spinoza's most important book for us. It includes an essay on the principles of interpreting the Bible which any serious reader of anything will also find useful, an important essay on the ancient Hebrew religion, a clarification of the distinction between necessity-as-law and law-as-fiat, the distinction which is one of the bases of his Ethics, and a discussion of the moral principles of government. It is also a pleasant book to read, being free of the pseudo-Euclidean format which has driven so many students to hard liquor and Wittgenstein.
The Political Treatise, though including much of no interest to the modern reader, also contains a continuation of the discussion of existence and natural law, especially as they pertain to sovereignty and the relationship between the individual and the state, a discussion of the nature of contract, and a discussion of the nature of ownership, with an important aside on wills, those strange documents by which a person seems to continue to control his property after he is gone. The closing discussion of the natural inferiority of women ought to help Dover (and Amazon) sell some copies to feminists, for use as ammunition.
The introduction by the translator is good, including a short, informative and amusing biography with an evaluation of the primary sources, a good summary of the Ethics, and an authoritative explanation for the fuzziness of some of Spinoza's writing: "[Spinoza's Latin] vocabulary is restricted; his style is wanting in flexibility.". The Biographical Note is especially useful to Net researchers, who sometimes have trouble getting information from home on the older sources.
This volume is not only a pleasure, and required reading for everyone interested in modern Western philosophy; it is also important for anyone interested in constitutional and international law

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review Error, September 23, 2000

By 

Barry Wolfe (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Theologico-Political Treatise / A Political Treatise (v. 1) (Paperback)

I am the author of the May 1999 review that faults the typsetting of the Hebrew in Spinoza's notes.

You have attached my review to the wrong translation.

The review applies to the Samuel Shirley translation reprinted in 1998 by Hackett Publishing Company, ISBN 0-87220-398-0.

You originally had it attached to the correct edition. How did it get here?

Please fix it. I don't want to libel Mr Ewes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Typesetting errors of the Hebrew in the notes, May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Theological-Political Treatise: (Gebhardt Edition, 1925) (Hackett Classics) (Paperback)

Spinoza's notes contain discussions of the meaning of some Hebrew words. If this will be of any importance to you, then forget this edition. Almost every word of Hebrew is butchered beyond recognition by typesetting errors. In some of these words, not a single character of the Hebrew is correct.