Spinoza in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) - Softcover

Strathern, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1566632153 ISBN 13: 9781566632157

Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, 1998

Synopsis

“Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character....I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization.”―Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe. “Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them....I find them hard to stop reading.”―Richard Bernstein, New York Times. “Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.”―Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal. These brief and enlightening explorations of our greatest thinkers bring their ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion. Philosophical thought is deciphered and made comprehensive and interesting to almost everyone. Far from being a novelty, each book is a highly refined appraisal of the philosopher and his work, authoritative and clearly presented.

About this title

Review:

Longtime readers of Paul Strathern's 90 Minutes books--pamphlets, really--know the drill: Strathern provides a minibiography of one of the world's great philosophers and an overview of his intellectual contributions, interspersed with Strathern's sometimes witty, sometimes merely sarcastic, comments about his subject's life and surroundings. His book on Spinoza, whose philosophy he considers "one of the finest ever produced," is no exception. Spinoza was an outcast in 17th-century Holland; as a Jew, he faced opposition from the Christians, and as a radical thinker who attacked not only the scientific but theological authority of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), he was shunned--excommunicated, even--by the Jewish community. Left to his own devices, he crafted a pantheistic philosophy based on the premise that God and the universe are one and the same, so that to harm others is ultimately to harm oneself. As Strathern writes, it has "a compelling beauty unequaled in the history of philosophy." (Although, in order to get to that level of brilliance, Spinoza had to write his share of clunkers, including one book that Strathern describes as "reducing Descartes' delightful and lucid style to a rubble of almost impenetrable mathematics.")

About the Author:

Paul Strathern is author of the popular and critically acclaimed Philosophers in 90 Minutes series. Highlights from the series include Nietzsche in 90 Minutes, Aristotle in 90 Minutes, and Plato in 90 Minutes. Mr. Strathern has lectured in philosophy and mathematics and now lives and writes in London. A former Somerset Maugham prize winner, he is also the author of books on history and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in a great many newspapers, including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. His own degree in philosophy came from Trinity College, Dublin.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1566632153
• ISBN 13: 9781566632157
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 87