Democratic Thought from Machiavelli to Spinoza
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A01=Sonja Lavaert
Author_Sonja Lavaert
Baruch Spinoza
Category=QDTS
clandestine literature
critical freethought
early modern philosophy
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Machiavelli
multitude
political philosophy
Spinoza's circle
Product details
- ISBN 9781399530514
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 30 Apr 2026
- Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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In the latter half of the seventeenth century, Spinoza effected a reversal in the relationship between philosophy, politics, and religion, thereby laying the foundation for modern democracy. This shift, and his plea for philosophical critique, did not pass unchallenged. The idea that there is no equality without freedom, and no freedom without equality, was maligned by those who insisted it would lead to rebellion and anarchy. Still, Spinoza was no solitary figure, but formed part of a larger European movement.
Inspired by several anonymous clandestine treatises, the republican writings of his contemporary De la Court, the democratic ideas of his former teacher Van den Enden, and the subversive criticism of his friend Koerbagh, Spinoza continued the trajectory established by Machiavelli. The resistance which his work encountered played a role in the radicalization of his ideas, the return to Machiavelli’s revolutionary principles, and the recognition of the multitude’s crucial role.
