Table Of ContentStahlberg_cpi_cb_AUS dd.qxd 9/1/2015 12:02 PM Page 1
S A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
t
While Spinoza is often interpreted as an early secular or liberal thinker, this a
h
book argues that such interpretations neglect the senses of order and author- l
b
e
ity that are at the heart of Spinoza’s idea of God. For Spinoza, God is an orga- r
g
nized and directed totality of all that exists. God is entirely immanent to this
totality, to such an extent that all things are fundamentally of God. Appre-
ciating the full extent to which God permeates and orders every aspect of
S
reality, allows the full sense of Spinoza’s theories of tolerance and the social p
i
contract to come into view. Rather than assuming that human beings n
o
involved in political relationships are independent, autonomous individu- z
a
als, for Spinoza they are parts of a larger whole subject to distinct natural ’
s
laws. Spinoza maintains that such laws manifest themselves equally and iden- P
h
tically in the seemingly distinct realms of religion and politics. In this
i
l
o
respect, Spinoza’s theories of religion and biblical interpretation are not prop-
s
o
erly secular in character but rather blur the standard boundary between the
p
religious and the political as they try to recognize and codify the inviolable h
y
laws of nature—or God.
o
f
D
i
v
i
n
e
O
r
BEN STAHLBERGreceived his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in New York.
d
e
He is currently Senior Lecturer of Religion at Colgate University in Hamilton,
r
New York.
Spinoza’s Philosophy
v
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•
3 of Divine Order
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A M E R I C A N AN
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www.peterlang.com S T U D I E S BEN STAHLBERG
Stahlberg_cpi_cb_AUS dd.qxd 9/1/2015 12:02 PM Page 1
S A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
t
While Spinoza is often interpreted as an early secular or liberal thinker, this a
h
book argues that such interpretations neglect the senses of order and author- l
b
e
ity that are at the heart of Spinoza’s idea of God. For Spinoza, God is an orga- r
g
nized and directed totality of all that exists. God is entirely immanent to this
totality, to such an extent that all things are fundamentally of God. Appre-
ciating the full extent to which God permeates and orders every aspect of
S
reality, allows the full sense of Spinoza’s theories of tolerance and the social p
i
contract to come into view. Rather than assuming that human beings n
o
involved in political relationships are independent, autonomous individu- z
a
als, for Spinoza they are parts of a larger whole subject to distinct natural ’
s
laws. Spinoza maintains that such laws manifest themselves equally and iden- P
h
tically in the seemingly distinct realms of religion and politics. In this
i
l
o
respect, Spinoza’s theories of religion and biblical interpretation are not prop-
s
o
erly secular in character but rather blur the standard boundary between the
p
religious and the political as they try to recognize and codify the inviolable h
y
laws of nature—or God.
o
f
D
i
v
i
n
e
O
r
BEN STAHLBERGreceived his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in New York.
d
e
He is currently Senior Lecturer of Religion at Colgate University in Hamilton,
r
New York.
Spinoza’s Philosophy
v
i
i
•
3 of Divine Order
5
3
P
E
T
E
R
L
A M E R I C A N AN
G
U N I V E R S I T Y
S T U D I E S BEN STAHLBERG
Spinoza’s Philosophy
of Divine Order
SERIES VII
THEOLOGY AND RELIGION
VOL. 353
This book is a volume in a Peter Lang monograph series.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.
PETER LANG
New York Bern Frankfurt Berlin
Brussels Vienna Oxford Warsaw
BEN STAHLBERG
Spinoza’s Philosophy
of Divine Order
PETER LANG
New York Bern Frankfurt Berlin
Brussels Vienna Oxford Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stahlberg, Ben.
Spinoza’s philosophy of divine order / Ben Stahlberg.
pages cm. — (American University studies VII. Theology and religion; Vol. 353)
Includes bibliographical references.
1.Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632–1677. I. Title.
B3998.S783 199’.492—dc23 2015020306
ISBN 978-1-4331-3044-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4539-1571-4 (e-book)
ISSN 0740-0446
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.
© 2015 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
T able of Contents
Notations and Abbreviations vii
Introduction 1
General Overview 1
Outline 5
The Problem of Agency 9
Chapter One: “The Face of the Whole Universe”: Spinoza’s Idea of God 15
Introduction: God’s Self-Causal Nature 15
Substance 16
Natura Naturans—Natura Naturata 21
The Conditions of Pantheism 23
The Problem of “Finite Modes” 34
Real Distinctions 40
Chapter Two: “A Kingdom Within a Kingdom”: Spinoza on the
Individual and the Idea of the Will 51
Introduction: The Problem of the Individual 51
Mind and Body 52
The Order of Desire 62
Common Notions 69
The “Idea” of the Will 74
vi | spinoza’s philosophy of divine order
Chapter Three: “Nothing More Useful than Man…”: Spinoza on Politics 83
Introduction 83
Nature’s Laws 84
Reasons for the Political Body 92
The Freedom of Obedience 98
The Conditions of Toleration 110
Chapter Four: “The Supreme Reward of the Divine Law”:
Law and Religion in Spinoza 117
Introduction 117
Spinoza’s Theocracy 119
The Love of God 128
Spinoza’s Idea of Hebrew 142
The Politics of Biblical Interpretation 147
Conclusion: “Man Is God to Man” 155
Strauss 157
Levinas 161
Scripture, Servitude, and Sovereignty 168
Notes 177
Bibliography 197
Notations and
Abbreviations
All parenthetical quotations of Spinoza are taken from Samuel Shirley’s Complete
Works of Spinoza. As all “Propositions” from the Ethics are italicized in the text
they are left so when quoted. To clarify which of Spinoza’s texts these quotations
are drawn from I refer to the specific text within the parentheses by the following
abbreviations:
TI—Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect
ST—Short Treatise on God, Man, and Well-Being
PCP—Principles of Cartesian Philosophy
E—Ethics
TTP—Theological-Political Treatise
TP—Political Treatise
HG—Hebrew Grammar
L—The Letters
All Latin quotations from Spinoza are taken from Bendicti de Spinoza opera philo-
sophica omina. Edited by August Firedrich Gfroeer. Stuttgart: J.B. Mezleri, 1830.
All biblical quotations are, unless otherwise noted, taken from The Jewish
Study Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
