Author Description
Spinoza's guiding commitment to the thesis that nothing exists or occurs outside of the scope of nature and its necessary laws makes him one of the great seventeenth-century exemplars of both philosophical naturalism and explanatory rationalism. Nature and Necessity in Spinoza's Philosophy brings together for the first time eighteen of Don Garrett's articles on Spinoza's philosophy, ranging over the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. Taken together, these influential articles provide a comprehensive interpretation of that philosophy, including Spinoza's theories of substance, thought and extension, causation, truth, knowledge, individuation, representation, consciousness, conatus, teleology, emotion, freedom, responsibility, virtue, contract, the state, and eternity-and the deep interrelations among them. Each article aims to resolve significant problems in the understanding of Spinoza's philosophy in such a way as to make evident both his reasons for his views and the enduring value of his ideas. At the same time, Garrett's articles elucidate the relations between his philosophy and those of predecessors and contemporaries like Aristotle, Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz. Lastly, the volume offers important and substantial replies to leading critics on four crucial topics: the necessary existence of God (nature), substance monism, necessitarianism, and consciousness.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection investigates the core question of how Spinoza’s commitment to universal naturalism and necessary laws functions as a coherent, explanatory framework for his entire philosophical system. Don Garrett, a prominent scholar of seventeenth-century philosophy, compiles eighteen of his previously published articles to provide a unified interpretation of Spinoza’s work. By analyzing the deep interrelations between Spinoza’s metaphysics, ethics, and political theory, Garrett argues for the internal consistency and enduring relevance of Spinoza’s rationalist project.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Comprehensive analysis of Spinoza’s theories on substance, causation, and consciousness.
- Comparative studies linking Spinoza to predecessors and contemporaries like Aristotle, Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz.
- Detailed responses to critical debates regarding substance monism, necessitarianism, and the existence of God.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the analytical interpretation of Spinoza’s arguments rather than a biographical account of his life.
- It does not serve as an introductory textbook for those entirely unfamiliar with seventeenth-century rationalist terminology.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of early modern philosophy frequently identify this collection as a rigorous, high-level resource for understanding the complexities of Spinoza’s logical structure. Experts highlight Garrett’s ability to synthesize disparate areas of Spinoza’s thought into a cohesive, defensible system.
Page Count:
312
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190879998
ISBN-13:
9780190879990
Philosophy
Ethics
Rationalism
Philosophy history
Political Philosophy
Epistemology
Metaphysics