Necessarily Eternal

New Book: "Spinoza's Geometry of Power"

Written by Valtteri Viljanend (Turku). From the catalogue:

This work examines the unique way in which Benedict de Spinoza (1632–77) combines two significant philosophical principles: that real existence requires causal power and that geometrical objects display exceptionally clearly how things have properties in virtue of their essences. Valtteri Viljanen argues that underlying Spinoza's psychology and ethics is a compelling metaphysical theory according to which each and every genuine thing is an entity of power endowed with an internal structure akin to that of geometrical objects. This allows Spinoza to offer a theory of existence and of action – human and non-human alike – as dynamic striving that takes place with the same kind of necessity and intelligibility that pertain to geometry. Viljanen's fresh and original study will interest a wide range of readers in Spinoza studies and early modern philosophy more generally.

"Emotions in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy"

Prof. Simo Knuuttila (Theological Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, Helsinki) is the author of the 2006 book. The Medieval Review has an article on it.

New Book: Michael Della Rocca's "Spinoza"

About this latest of Prof. Michael Della Rocca's (Yale) works on Spinoza:

Beginning with an overview of Spinoza's life, Della Rocca carefully unpacks and explains Spinoza's philosophy: his metaphysics of substance and argument at the center of his whole system that God is the sole independent substance; Spinoza's account of the human mind and its relation to the body; his theory that human beings tend towards self-preservation and the role of the emotions; his most famous work, the Ethics, including the problem of free will; and his writings on the state, religion and scripture. Della Rocca concludes with a chapter on Spinoza's legacy and how modern philosophers, Hume, Hegel, and Nietzsche, responded to Spinoza's challenge.

Intellectual Context of Early Modern Philosophy As Found in Primary Sources

Published ten years ago, I have found Descartes' Meditations: Background Source Materials very useful when attempting to make more sense of the intellectual context in works of not just Descartes but Spinoza and other major early modern philosophers as well. Translators of this collection of primary sources are Roger Ariew (South Florida), John Cottingham (Reading), and Tom Sorell (Birmingham). Marjorie Grene (Virginia Tech) co-translated one of the selections as well.

New Book: "Interpreting Spinoza"

This recently published book is a collection of "critical essays" and edited by Prof. Charlie Huenemann (Utah State).

Book: "Between Philosophy and Religion: Spinoza, the Bible, and Modernity"

Prof. Brayton Polka (Humanities and Social & Political Thought, York University) is the author of the 2-volume work (published September 2006): Vol. 1: Hermeneutics and Ontology and Vol 2: Politics and Ethics.

A 2004 Translation of TTP

Done by Prof. Martin D. Yaffe (Philosophy and Religious Studies, North Texas), information about the book and the translator's remarks can be found here.

New Book: Spinoza's 'Ethics': A Reader's Guide

Written by Prof. J. Thomas Cook (Rollins College), this new addition to Spinoza literature, according to its synopsis, is a "comprehensive and thorough guide to Spinoza's masterpiece of Rationalist thought".

New Book: "Spinoza's Radical Cartesian Mind"

Published in early November last year and written by Prof. Tammy Nyden-Bullock (Grinnell College), its description and table of contents can be found here. The Chronicle of Higher Education appears to have an article about the book, though its acess is restricted to subscribers.

Of Truth, Error, and the Brain

Damasio's Error and Descartes' Truth: An Inquiry into Consciousness, Metaphysics, and Epistemology is Prof. Andrew Gluck's (St. John's) response to Prof. Antonio Damasio's (Psychology, Neuroscience and Neurology, Southern California) Descartes' Error and Looking for Spinoza.

"Product of a Series of Coincidences"

So introduces Prof. Floris van der Burg (Utrecht) us to his Davidson and Spinoza: Mind, Matter and Morality, published in June.

New Spinoza Book for the Perplexed

Spinoza: A Guide for the Perplexed by Prof. Charles Jarrett (Rutgers), published about ten days ago as part of the Guides for the Perplexed series.

New Translations of TTP

The first one, by Prof. Jonathan Israel (Modern European History, IAS) and Prof. Michael Silverthorne (Classics, Exeter), came out few months ago in May as part of the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy while another one is being done by Prof. Jonathan Bennett according to his Early Modern Texts site.

New Book: "Servet, Spinoza y Sender. Miradas de Eternidad"

Read more about Servetus, Spinoza, and Sender: Looking at Eternity here.

New Book on the Role of God in the "Ethics"

The Role of God in Spinoza's Metaphysics by Prof. Sherry Deveaux, published a little over a month ago.

New Book: "Spinoza and the Stoics"

Spinoza and the Stoics: Power, Politics and the Passions by Prof. Firmin DeBrabander (Philosophy, Maryland Institute College of Art), published less than two weeks ago.

A Cobweb Novel

The title is actually a subtitle of the work Conversation with Spinoza, a novel by one Goce Smilevski. A short review can be found here.