Who’s afraid of freedom of speech? The good citizen and the agitator in Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise

Authors

  • Antônio David Universidade de São Paulo (USP)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1677-2954.2021.e84381

Keywords:

Hábitos de vida, Docente, Saúde, Doença, Ensino.

Abstract

The article examines the problem of separation between State and religion and the issue of freedom of speech in Spinoza’s Theologico-political treatise. The starting point for the exam is the reception of the work in its advent context, and its transgressions. Based on it, the article aims to show how the Theologico-political treatise takes part in the Dutch political imaginary, and why Spinoza’s choice of the hebrew imperium foundation and ruin is strategic. Contradicting the common place that there was full freedom of though and speech in the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, this book reveals a quite different situation of tensions and deadlocks in the context, which is why in this work Spinoza supports the freedom of opinion. At the end, confronting the traditional images of the “good citizen” (who submits his or her opinion to civil authorities) and the “rebel” or “agitator” (who acts against civil authority and encourages others to do so), the final chapter makes a criticism which is immanent to the vulgar thought, and reveals at the end that the “true agitators” are those who aim to annihilate freedom of speech.

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Published

2021-12-16

Issue

Section

Dossier Hobbes and Espinosa: state, power, religion and freedom