Rebecca Goldstein Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity

Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity

Rebecca Goldstein

Schocken, Jun 2006, $19.95

ISBN: 0805242090

The "Jewish Encounters" series looks into the philosophers and their topics that forged the foundation of the modern Jewish culture (see MAIMONIDES by Sherwin B. Nuland and THE LIFE OF DAVID by Robert Pinsky). Thus Spinoza on the surface seems an odd choice as Rebecca Goldstein intelligently opens her biography of the great seventeenth century philosopher with the paradox "By what right is Benedictus Spinoza included in this series, devoted as it is to Jewish themes and thinkers?" considering he rejected the so-called "Jewish Identity" espoused by the religious leaders of Amsterdam in the mid seventeenth century. Spinoza's thoughts led to his being excommunicated by the time he was twenty-three. Ms. Goldstein explores that question and much more as she digs deep into what motivated Spinoza to develop a complex secular system that has led too much of the scientific advancement of the last two and a half centuries. Ms. Goldstein makes a strong argument that much of Spinoza's philosophy comes from his childhood community consisting of Jews who had fled the Iberian Peninsular Inquisition. This led him to believe that pure reason is the underlying universal theme of humanity and from there he attempted to live a secular lifestyle. Ms. Goldstein makes a strong case that his writings led to much of the religious tolerance that America has enjoyed from the start and even impacting the quantum physics theorists of today. This is a great work that makes the case that if Spinoza was alive to day he would be the subject of a media blitz to destroy his credibility as he would be public enemy number one of the intelligent design crowd because he would ask by whom?

Harriet Klausner