Overview

This book argues that the logic of Spinoza's ontological argument is supported by what the author describes as a paradox of singularity. This is because Spinoza's ontological schema posits that anything that exists must exist in such a way that its determinations follow either from what is “in-itself” or “in-another.” This establishes a paradoxical ontology in which singular things (res singulares) are singularized or differentiated through an intersection of causes each of which must be conceived either in-themselves, in-another, or – as in the paradoxical case of the human being – both at once. The author shows that Spinoza’s ontological argument for the necessary existence of God constitutes a theory of action, way of being, or an ethos in which philosophy and religion are functionally identical. Yet, given the paradox of singularity that it involves, participation in this ethos presupposes a power of interpretation from which and for which individuals of a compatible nature strive to persevere in their being together. The book will be of particular value to scholars who are interested in Spinoza's contributions to post-structuralism, trans-individuality, and the history of secular religious thought.

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9781804411995

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"""This book contributes to a subject matter in which I am particularly interested: the question of how Spinoza - contrary to the criticism that his world consists in a lifeless oneness with no time for a view of life as dynamic and transformative - rethinks difference not as a problem or obstacle, but as the central aspect with which philosophy needs to come to terms, not by excluding difference but comprehending its empowering aspects. Nusbaum breaks new grounds in advancing a new understanding of what he calls Spinoza's ethics of interpretation. In exploring the way in which a new understanding of interpretation resides at the core of Spinoza's project of the Ethics, the author offers new insights in what could be called the early history of dialogical thinking. This is developed with painstaking attention to Spinoza's terms of thinking and deserves critical attention. In other words, one of the crucial insights that this book offers is an illuminating exploration of Spinoza's critical commitment to setting the principle of non-contradiction aside."" - Dr Willi Goetschel, University of Toronto."

'This book contributes to a subject matter in which I am particularly interested: the question of how Spinoza contrary to the criticism that his world consists in a lifeless oneness with no time for a view of life as dynamic and transformative rethinks difference not as a problem or obstacle, but as the central aspect with which philosophy needs to come to terms, not by excluding difference but comprehending its empowering aspects. Nusbaum breaks new grounds in advancing a new understanding of what he calls Spinoza's ethics of interpretation. In exploring the way in which a new understanding of interpretation resides at the core of Spinoza's project of the Ethics, the author offers new insights in what could be called the early history of dialogical thinking. This is developed with painstaking attention to Spinoza's terms of thinking and deserves critical attention. In other words, one of the crucial insights that this book offers is an illuminating exploration of Spinoza's critical commitment to setting the principle of non-contradiction aside.'- Dr Willi Goetschel, University of Toronto.

Author Information

Jordan Nusbaum teaches and researches in the Department of Humanities, York University, Ontario, Canada

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