Spinoza's Radical Cartesian Mind »

In the first Stadholderless age of Holland (1651-1672) Cartesianism became a weapon of the newly ruling regent class to fight against monarchical tendencies and theological orthodoxy. This book examines the development of Spinoza's philosophy of mind within the context of this Dutch 'Radical' Cartesianism. The study begins by examining key Radical Cartesian pamphlets and Spinoza's role in a Radical Cartesian circle in Amsterdam. In doing so the author comes to see Spinoza's own political writings as a systematization of the Radical Cartesian ideas already circulating at this time. The second part of this study reconstructs the development of Spinoza's thinking about the human mind, truth, error and falsity, and explains how this development allowed Spinoza to provide philosophical foundations for Radical Cartesian political theory. It concludes that Spinoza's rejection of Cartesian epistemology involves much more than the metaphysical problems of dualism. It also involves, ironically, Spinoza's attempt to make coherent a political theory bearing Descartes' name.

About the Author:
Tammy Nyden-Bullock is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Grinnell College, USA

Acknowledgements     viii
Abbreviations     x
Political Divisions: Orangists vs the States-Party     1
Radical Cartesian Pamphlets: van Velthuysen and De la Court     14
Radical Cartesian Associates: van den Enden and the Amsterdam Circle     29
Spinoza's Radical Cartesianism     51
Spinoza's Early Epistemology     78
Spinoza's Transitional Epistemology: The TIE and KV     90
Spinoza's Mature Epistemology: The Ethics     116
Epilogue     132
Notes     135
Bibliography     148
Index     157