Spinoza: Freedom's Messiah

by Ian Buruma

Ian Buruma explores the life and death of Baruch Spinoza, the Enlightenment thinker whose belief in freedom of thought and speech resonates in our own time
 
Baruch (Benedictus) Spinoza (1632–1677) was a radical free thinker who led a life guided by strong moral principles despite his disbelief in an all-seeing God. Seen by many—Christians as well as Jews—as Satan’s disciple during his lifetime, Spinoza has been regarded as a secular saint since his death. Many contradictory beliefs have been attached to his rationalism or metaphysics, atheism or pantheism, liberalism or despotism, Jewishness or anti-Semitism. However, there is no question that he viewed freedom of thought and speech as essential to an open and free society.
 
In this insightful account, the award-winning author Ian Buruma stresses the importance of the time and place that shaped Spinoza, beginning with the Sephardim of Amsterdam and followed by the politics of the Dutch Republic. Though Spinoza rejected the basic assumptions of his family’s faith, and was consequently expelled from his Sephardic community, Buruma argues that Spinoza did indeed lead a Jewish a  modern  Jewish life. To Heine, Hess, Marx, Freud, and no doubt many others today, Spinoza exemplified how to be Jewish without believing in Judaism. His defense of universal freedom is as important for our own time as it was in his.

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Judaism, Jewish, Audiobook

216 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2025

About the author

Ian Buruma is a British-Dutch writer and academic, much of whose work focuses on the culture of Asia, particularly that of 20th-century Japan, where he lived and worked for many years.

Reviews

[Allen Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely, short, well-written biography of the great philosopher Baruch Spinoza. I’ve been an unapologetic fanboy of his since the days of my college philosophy studies, and frankly, I’m a sucker for almost anything written about him and his intellectual legacy. The author’s discussion of Spinoza’s lasting importance in the last chapter is superb.

[Michael Bagnoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Since he was expelled from his tribe, one might say he had no choice. But of course he did have a choice. He chose to think freely, and that made his tribal membership impossible. Spinoza was a man of many cultures, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and Jewish. But he had no tribe. That made him a universalist.”

[Frédéric Aertsens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handige handleiding om vrij te leren begrijpen en denken in een tumultueuze wereld, toen en nu.

[Peerke Linders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spinoza: Filosoof van de vrijheid van Ian Buruma is een zeer interessant boek dat het leven van Baruch Spinoza volgt als een Sefardische Joodse Amsterdammer en zijn reis als controversieel filosoof door het filosofische, politieke en religieuze landschap van het 17e-eeuwse Nederland. Het laat zien hoe Spinoza zich door deze turbulente tijd beweegt, terwijl hij wordt geconfronteerd met beschuldigingen van atheïsme en uiteindelijk verbannen wordt uit zijn Joodse gemeenschap.

Tegelijkertijd bracht hij revolutionaire theorieën naar voren, zoals ideeën over de rede en objectieve waarheid, en het concept dat God niet een bovennatuurlijk wezen buiten de wereld is, maar dat God en de natuur hetzelfde zijn. Dit boek belicht ook goed hoe de wereld rondom Spinoza niet klaar was voor zijn ideeën en hoe hij kritiek krijgt van alle kanten.Spinoza: Filosoof van de vrijheid

Wat dit boek bijzonder maakt, is hoe Buruma niet alleen Spinoza’s complexe filosofie weet te belichten, maar ook de mens Spinoza tot leven brengt door een gedetailleerde en menselijke tijdlijn van zijn leven te schetsen.

Dit boek biedt een uitstekende kennismaking met zowel de ideeën als de persoon Spinoza. Het is een absolute aanrader voor iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in de geschiedenis en filosofie van Spinoza, en die van Nederland door de eeuwen heen.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

An adequate introduction to Spinoza and his thought, as well as focus on Spinoza having come from a Jewish background...but it is marred by anticommunist dog whistles and anti transgender statements.

[Dash · Rating 4 out of 5]

V good, aside from a weird final turn into equating literal exile and religious ostracism to cancel culture. The idea that cancel culture is harmful in academic spaces because it stifles free thought is strangely tied to the "cancelation" of academics advocating for regressive, conservative ideas when historically, as evidenced by Spinoza, social ostracism has been mostly targeted at people who've espoused ideas that are more liberal and progressive than the mainstream beliefs of their societies.

[Dants · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard of Spinoza because there was a road next to my parent's house that is called Spinozaweg. I thought the name was funny and sounded like spinach, and never looked into this person.

I can't really remember why I picked this book to read from the bookshop, but I'm really glad I did because I found something extraordinary and extremely inspiring to me. Someone who dares to stand out of their own group and think how they want to think.

Even though I don't really care or want to go into his metaphysics and what he really thought but how he lived his life and stood by what he thought is for me the impressive part and inspiring part. Plus I found my historical counterpart who's also a minimalist. Who doesn't love a minimalist.

Dutch people today have heard of him but never read about him, a thing that should be rectified.

Good book about the life of Mr. Thorn. I wanted to know more about the beef between him and the rabbi, his teacher, Menosah? Minosah? I can't remember and don't want to bother looking up. But anyway, it was extremely easy to read and well written.

Now I also want to know more about Johan the Witt because of this book. Also about Thorbecke for some reason.

Anyways, a cool book.

[Hidde Glastra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn’t a typical biography. It is a lot about the time Spinoza lived in and why his ideas were so ‘radical’. Ofcourse is is also about what his view is on topics, especially faith. Nice to learn more about this great thinker.

[Tom Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freedom to think is absolute. An excellent book for these times.

[Koen van Damme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Korte biografie over Spinoza’s leven met goede inkijk in zijn ideeën, hij was ver zijn tijd vooruit.

[Israel Drazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah
By Ian Buruma
Yale University Press
ISBN 978-0300248920
2024, 216 pages, $23.20

What is Spinoza’s Philosophy?
Ian Buruma’s 2024 “Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah,” a significant addition to Jewish studies, is published by Yale University Press. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the life of the short-lived renowned Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), who died at the early age of 45. Only two of his books were published during his lifetime: Theological-Political Treatise in 1670 and Ethics in 1677. Buruma's unique approach to Spinoza's life and ideas will captivate readers.
Buruma is the author of twenty-two other books and a Professor of Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College. His book is a valuable addition to the Jewish Lives series, a prizewinning collection of interpretive biographies that delve into the various aspects of Jewish identity. In partnership with the Leon D. Black Foundation, Yale University Press has published over sixty books, including this volume in Jewish Lives. With over thirty more books forthcoming, the series enriches our understanding of Jewish history and culture.
Buruma’s book is 216 pages long, with 12 chapters comprising 174 pages, 13 pages of notes, a page of acknowledgments, and an index of 10 pages.
The book is not a traditional biography but a collection of speculations about Spinoza’s life. It does not delve into Spinoza’s ideas and philosophy. Instead, it describes the many debates surrounding Spinoza's life and work. Buruma emphasizes that virtually everything said to be known about Spinoza is pure speculation, and scholars have different ideas about them. He praises “the excellent biography by Steven Nadler, whose book is about as exhaustive as one can be about a short life full of unknowns.”
Buruma added, “Spinoza’s complicated ideas are (also) open to many interpretations.” Scholars differ on how to interpret them. As a result, we have no definitive picture of what Spinoza was teaching other than that he was a rationalist who stressed using one’s intelligence. He writes, “The Israeli scholar Yirmiyahu Yovel has portrayed Spinoza as a philosopher whose thinking was profoundly influenced by his Marrano family background. He believes that Spinoza’s use of language and his ‘mastery of equivocation’ were rooted in the habits of his ancestors who had to hide their faith behind a veil of Christian conversion in the face of the Iberian Inquisition.” (I agree and will give my interpretation below.)
Buruma tells readers that since the fourteenth century, Jews in Spain were forced to convert to avoid persecution. Many converted while continuing to be faithful Jews secretly. Those who publicly converted but were discovered to be secretly practicing Judaism were killed. The remaining Jews were expelled in 1492. Many, including Spinoza’s family, fled to Amsterdam, where Jews were tolerated as long as they did not “clash with (Amsterdam’s) Calvinism on such matters as the immortality of the soul, belief in the afterlife, God the creator or the divine origin of the Holy Scriptures – all dogmas that Spinoza would later repudiate.” The state felt it must protect its citizens from false religions. Strict theologians were in favor of banning Jews and Catholics from the country. However, the majority agreed to tolerate them as long as they caused no clash. Noting the very sensitive situation, the Jewish leaders, including the rabbis, were cautious not to speak about subjects that might endanger their lives.
Jews and Catholics were not the only groups facing the danger of causing the Amsterdam government to stop tolerating them. English Quakers escaped persecution and fled to Holland in large numbers. However, unlike the Jews, after being in Holland for some time because of the possibility of offending the government with their religious beliefs, they left Holland for America.
Spinoza was placed in herem, meaning ostracized, on July 27, 1656. As with virtually everything regarding Spinoza’s life and thoughts, what prompted the herem is unclear. This is especially difficult to understand since we know that Spinoza was cautious throughout his life not to endanger his own life and the lives of fellow Jews by revealing what he believed.
Indeed, I am convinced that this is why his writings are unclear and subject to widely different interpretations. In this respect, he was very similar to Maimonides (1138-1204), who also hid his true rational ideas. He did so in his own way. He mixed them with the ideas of non-educated Jews. He did this because he was very compassionate and did not want to hurt fellow Jews in any way.
Buruma writes that Spinoza “was cautious about how much he was prepared (to reveal of his thinking). (This) makes his enthusiasm to publish (his book) Ethics (in 1677, long after the herem, the year he died) a bit puzzling. He must have known that this book” would enflame the passions of the Amsterdam government.
In my view, it is possible that in 1677, when he was deathly ill and died, he was not thinking very well.
Buruma ends his fascinating book, from which readers will learn much, by writing that Spinoza “showed the way all human beings can think freely and discover truths that apply to everyone. For that, we all owe him a debt, not as a ‘good Jew,’ or a secular saint, but as a great and humane man.”
While Buruma does not explain Spinoza’s ideas, I would like to do so.
First, we should realize that a policy of toleration is intolerable. Imagine a husband and wife lying in bed together. He taps his wife’s shoulder, and when he gets her attention, he says, “Whatever anyone says, I want you to know I tolerate you.” I think such an attitude is grounds for a divorce. I also think we should recognize that Jews in Amsterdam were very fearful, as were the Quakers, that the toleration policy could easily slide into a situation resulting in their death. So, they were very careful about what they said. This is why Spinoza hid his true opinions.
Second, it is reasonable to assume that Spinoza knew Maimonides’ philosophy. He most likely learned about Maimonides during his years of study of Judaism. Because of his strong interest in philosophy, it is almost certain that he read his books either in his youth or later. It is also likely that he found Maimonides’ rationalism closely akin to his own, if not identical.
Third, true Spinoza criticized some biblical laws and practices and even called some superstition and pagan. So did Maimonides. Maimonides stressed that the Torah needed to be presented to the Israelites in a way they could accept. He said it is impossible to change a person and certainly not a nation immediately. This was why the Torah had to allow slavery, sacrifices, an eye for an eye, and gave many hints that the laws needed to be changed. This is why the Torah stresses the goal of the change, “You should love the stranger as yourself,” which means to treat others as you want to be treated yourself.
This law about strangers was repeated in the Torah and thereby emphasized thirty-six times. If I were a mystic, which I am not, I would point out that the Hebrew word for “life” is made up of two Hebrew letters, the letters chet and yud. The Hebrew alphabet was used to indicate numbers. The two letters number eight and ten. The statement about strangers being said thirty-six times is twice eighteen. Thus, if I were a mystic, I would have said the Torah emphasizes the rule about the proper treatment of strangers twice “life” to teach that this law is so significant that it impacts life in this world and the world to come. Although I am not a mystic, I agree, and so does the New Testament, that “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “Love the stranger as yourself” are fundamental principles of religion.
Fourth, since, as Buruma and others pointed out, virtually all “facts” about Spinoza’s life are speculations, and Spinosa clearly never converted to Christianity, it is possible that he observed Jewish practices even after the herem.
Fifth, we should not dismiss the idea that Spinoza followed the teachings of Maimonides. For example, there is Spinoza’s unclear famous statement that God is seen in nature. Based on Exodus 33:18-23, Maimonides taught us that nothing is known about God. All that we can know is what has been created. Although not full knowledge, we get some clues about God by studying the laws of nature and learning the sciences. (We can think about God being all-powerful, all-knowing, and the like even though we do not know because the ideas are not harmful, but we should remember that we do not know.) Thus, I am convinced Spinoza stated Maimonides’ teaching in his own cryptic way.
Sixth, while I suggest that Spinoza accepted the views of Maimonides or most of them, and while I think Spinoza was brilliant, I do not believe he was as bright as Maimonides. While Maimonides was very practical, Spinoza was not, and while Maimonides devoted his life to helping fellow Jews, Spinoza secluded himself.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spinoza as secular thinker ahead of his time. God and nature as one. All hierarchical religions way off base. Simple life. No marriage, few possessions, lives in a small room. Ground lenses for a living as did other intellectuals--light being a door to enlightenment. Did not seek out any sort of fame. Rather, did not want his controversial thoughts on God published in Dutch, only in Latin. "The lower classes wouldn't understand."

Interesting history aspects as well, particularly on the Jewish presence in the Netherlands. Spinoza from a "Portuguese trader" family which is another way of saying he is saying he is a Sephardic Jew. Dutch tradition of tolerance especially when it pays off financially on full display.
Short book, well-written.

[Amira Armenta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The publication this year of Spinoza Freedom's Messiah, by the Anglo-Dutch writer Ian Buruma, reminded me of the small scandal that occurred in 2021 in Amsterdam, when the rabbi of the Portuguese synagogue of this city reaffirmed the prohibition of Spinoza's work, as heretical.

The Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam outlawed the philosopher's writings in 1656 as heretical. Had there been a Spanish-style Inquisition in the Netherlands in the 17th century, Baruch Spinoza would have been sent to the stake. Fortunately this did not happen, but the Jewish philosopher was expelled from the community forever. It was forbidden to have any dealings with him. His 'heresy' was to question God - as conceived by the three great religions - and to propose that everything that exists is part of one thing: nature. For Spinoza, nature is God, the universe as a whole is God. A conception of the world that several centuries later would make Albert Einstein say, “If I had to believe in God, it would be Spinoza's God”. But it was also his intellectual independence, his questioning of religious texts, that the rabbis saw as a threat.

He was a sober man. In a letter of Spinoza quoted by Buruma in his book, the philosopher recalls the thought of Thales of Miletus in relation to the possession of material goods, when he says that, “the wise do not lack riches by failure, but by choice”. Spinoza lived soberly, by choice. At the time of his death his only possessions were the bed he had inherited from his father, a pillow, two cushions, a red sheet, a few pants and shirts, two black hats, a Turkish coat also black, two pairs of shoes, a wooden contraption for grinding glass and lenses (he also worked polishing lenses for optical instruments), a box with books, a small portrait, four small oak tables and a suitcase. That was all. He needed no more.

Despite his simplicity and material 'poverty', the reputation of his intellectual wealth was such that many of the great intellectuals and famous figures of his time wanted to talk to him, to meet him, to invite him. Buruma brings several examples of this. Even Louis XIV, the Sun King of France proposed to him to go and live and work in the palace of Versailles. Any moderately vain person would have gladly accepted, but not Spinoza, who was not interested in the glitter of palaces.

In imagining this simple and modest Spinoza, it is a delight to read Buruma's description of a visit he received one day at his humble home in The Hague. The visitor was the young German philosopher Leibniz, who was very interested in Spinoza's metaphysical ideas. Leibniz was a genius, but also possibly a bit of a snob. In his enormous desire to shine, Leibniz arrived in a wig and dressed in the latest fashionable traveling clothes. Next to him, how poor Spinoza would look, his body already ravaged by illness, dressed in nothing more than a simple robe to be at home.

Ian Buruma's book is not just another biography of Spinoza. Its main merit, in comparison with previous biographies, is that it manages to bring us closer not only to the complex thought of this philosopher -many agree that his books are difficult to read- but to the man, the human being, a humble and extremely lucid person. People should be free to think or believe whatever they want, he said. Something that seems obvious to us now but which in the 17th century was very advanced, as well as scandalous.

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spinoza In The Jewish Lives Series

Jewish Lives is a biography series published by Yale University Press and the Leo Black Foundation. The series published its first volume in 2010 and currently consists of 70 volumes with more on the way. The series aims, in its words to "explore the many facets of Jewish identity" and to "illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences."

A recent addition to the "Jewish Lives" series, "Spinoza: Freedom's Messiah" (2024) is written by the distinguished scholar Ian Buruma, the Paul W. Williams Professor of Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College. Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) lived in the Netherlands and was the son of Jewish, Marrano parents. He received a strong Jewish education but as a young man severely questioned his faith and was excommunicated at the age of 23 in a decree of unusual breadth and severity. Following the excommunication, Spinoza wrote several extraordinary works, including the "Theological-Political Treatise", the "Ethics" and the "Political Treatise" that still are read and discussed. Following the excommunication, Spinoza never returned to Jewish life.

Buruma's short book offers an eloquent, accessible account of what is known of Spinoza's life and an assessment of the continuing importance of his life and work. The book draws heavily on recent scholarly studies of Spinoza, including the work of Steven Nadler, Yirmiyahu Yovel, Jonathan Israel, and Stewart Hampshire. Buruma points out the complexity of Spinoza's thought and the different interpretations it has received over the years. Buruma does not explore the intricacies of Spinoza's philosophy but rather places the philosopher in the context of his time and also explains what he finds of continued importance. As befitting a volume in a series devoted to Jewish Lives, Buruma also explores the difficult question of Spinoza's relationship to Judaism, a question which has led to many different responses. Buruma finds that there is "an argument to be made that Spinoza did indeed live a Jewish life, but it was a modern Jewish life." His life "exemplified how to be Jewish without believing in Judaism."

In short chapters, Buruma explores Spinoza's relationship to his surroundings. He begins with Spinoza's early life and the nature of the Marrano-based Jewish community of Amsterdam. He discusses Spinoza's relationship to the synagogue which excommunicated him with attention to the distinguished rabbis of the day and to other excommunicated heretics, such as Uriel da Costa. Buruma discusses what is known about Spinoza's secular education in studying Latin and the sciences. Perhaps most importantly, Buruma discusses the Netherlands of Spinoza's day, its relationship to the Jewish community, and its tension between republicanism and monarchy. This political history gets substantial discussion in considering the nature of Spinoza's thought. On a more individual level, Buruma discusses Spinoza's life following the excommunication. Buruma qualifies the picture that ofen emerges of Spinoza as a loner. He was independent but had many friends in the Dutch community and received an increasing degree of public recognition. Buruma traces Spinoza's friends and his contacts through the several moves he made during his short life. While no saint, Spinoza led a modest, harmless and celibate life. (it is unclear whether the last was by choice)

Buruma discusses how Spinoza rejected the concept of God and of a revealed law in Judaism and rejected as well the doctrine of personal immortality. Spinoza famously spoke of "God or Nature" ("deus sive natura") which often is equated to a form of pantheism. Buruma shows how Spinoza's thought was regarded as heretical by the more conservative parts of the Netherlands religious community and by many others. Still Spinoza had adherents and supporters. The sources of Spinoza's thought remain matters for disagreement, and Buruma identifies many influences including Judaism and Marranism, the thought of Descartes, and the liberal Christian community
in which Spinoza moved, though he never became a Christian. Different scholars place different emphases on these sources.

Buruma focuses more on Spinoza's political thought than on his philosophy and metaphysics. This probably would not be Spinoza's own emphasis. He discusses what he sees as the importance of Spinoza throughout the book, but especially in the opening and concluding chapters. He writes in the book's opening chapter: "if one thing can be said unequivocally about Spinoza, it is that freedom of thought was his main preoccupation." Freedom of thought was threatened in Spinoza's day by organized religion while today, Buruma points out, it is threatened by many ideologies, both left and right.

In his concluding chapter, "Spinozism", Buruma sees the importance of Spinoza's philosophy in its commitment to reason, truth, and universality, values that he finds under attack in our contemporary world. Reason, truth, and universality are part of what Buruma finds Spinoza meant by the freedom to think. Buruma writes:

"It is for this reason, and not for his Christ-like image, that Spinoza should be seen as a model for our difficult times. when the very idea of reason is regarded with so much suspicion by people who insist on the supremacy of moral beliefs. Closely tied to the idea of reason is the notion of universality. Not so long ago, many people in the Western world took it for granted that the capacity to reason was only the property of white Christian men: Asians, women, and other benighted members of the human race were incapable of it. Spinoza, with all his seventeenth-century notions of male superiority never subscribed to that. Reason was universal, or it was nothing."

Buruma's book on Spinoza has received substantial attention as well as mostly positive reviews. The book meets the goals of the "Jewish Lives" series to explore the many facets of Jewish identity and to show the imprint of Jewish individuals in many varied endeavors. But more importantly, the book also will be valuable to a broad readership. As Buruma concludes his study: [Spinoza] showed the way in which all human beings can think freely and discover truths which apply to everyone. For that, we all owe him a debt, not as a 'good Jew' or a secular saint, but as a great and humane man." This book should inspire thought and reflection, which is a result Spinoza would surely have wanted.

Robin Friedman

[Robert Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable brief bio of Spinoza that puts the highlights of his philosophy into the historical and geographical context. There are annoying moments: Buruma wants to point to Spinoza's universalism and rationalism as his legacy which certainly is the conventional view, but he uses to make a peroration at the end that sees the left as given to the irrational and delusory behavior as the right, but Spinoza himself never harassed by advocates of political reform, religious tolerance or free love for that matter. And he spends two paragraphs attacking without saying he is passionate advocate of trans rights, asserting that they ignore biology when anyone considering transition will have to confront the hurdles of physiology and appearance. He intentionally confuses the issue on the same pages in which he praises Spinoza for showing how to truly think critically. What worries him most is Spinoza putting religious practice into state hands, as if Spinoz has anything to do with the absurdities of megalomanical thugs like Hitler, Stalin and Mao when they absolutely illustrate Spinoza's thesis about monarchy: power corrupts and leads to cronyism. Rather Spinoza is feeling about for a way to end the bickering and harassment that results because Protestantism (and for that matter, Judaism) creates a gap between faith and rule. They will come into conflict because a missionary church will not see the State as an ally but an enemy. For Spinoza, the state has to walk a tightrope that involves tolerating free-thinking but also providing a check on zealotry. Thinking this through was a new thing, and it is almost an analytic deduction of Spinoza's anti-utopianism that his ideal state would have a civil religion. But what Spinoza's suggesting is something along the lines of Althusser who suggests somewhere that the realized socialist state will operate ideologically. Buruma may find rhat worryjng but his resistance is tied up with the typical ideology of a free-lance journalist. It is Buruma who is being utopian and extremist--hard for him to see it but that is what it means to be grasped ("conceived") by an ideology.

My own hobby-horse is how advocacy of Spinozism before really the end of WWII has had to proceed by irony and misdirection. Maybe it had to proceed that way, because so

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not so much a "traditional" biography of the Dutch philosopher (and Buruma rightly cites Steven Nadler's Spinoza: A Life as the definitive work of that type); rather, it's an insightful overview of the forces at play in 17th-century Europe that made Spinoza a pariah of his time.

On a humorous note, I can't think about Spinoza without recalling this passage between Bertie Wooster and his man Jeeves in P.G. Wodehouse's Joy in the Morning:

‘Well, sir, there has recently been published a new and authoritatively annotated edition of the works of the philosopher Spinoza. Since you are so generous, I would appreciate that very much.’

‘You shall have it. It shall be delivered at your door in a plain van without delay. You’re sure you’ve got the name right? Spinoza?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘It doesn’t sound probable, but no doubt you know best. Spinoza, eh? Is he the Book Society’s Choice of the Month?

‘I believe not, sir.’

‘Well, he’s the only fellow I ever heard of who wasn’t. Right ho. I’ll see to it instanter.’

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable but quick read. Part of the Yale Jewish Lives series. Really reads much more to me as a universalist truth seeker and humanitarian than a Jewish Life, but nevertheless he probably would not have had such a life were he not born Jewish. Buruma who grew up in the Netherlands is a perfect choice to tell Spinoza’s story. The biography only briefly touches on Spinoza’s philosophy and I would have loved to have understood his decisions and motivations much more but what I did learn - even in mercantile holland one had to be extremely brave to live the life Spinoza led. I was fascinated by the ebb and flow of what we would now call liberalism in the Netherlands during Spinoza’s lifetime and the absolutely potentially horrific consequences of expressing opinions that were unsanctioned. Final thought - Spinoza does not read as a revolutionary trying to overturn everything, rather as a truth seeker and moral pursuer of life who even has space for a state religion which helps keep order for the common folk. Whatever he did or more likely did not belief, I found it fascinating that he still saw a role for religion in running society.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spinoza was a Jewish philosopher who promoted freedom of thought as the foundation of a free society. The author believes that Spinoza was not a religious Jew, and was a role model for other non-practicing Jews such as Sigmund Freud. I would say the author’s understanding of Judaism is limited. For example, Spinoza wrote a book on Hebrew grammar, and you have to read Hebrew to study Torah or other Jewish religious texts.

Spinoza lived in the Netherlands during a period when Calvinism was the predominant religion, and people were tortured and hung for being heretics. He was certainly a freedom fighter and his cause is relevant today when totalitarian governments and antisemitism are rampant. He was however cautious enough about not publishing his writing under his own name that he was able to die of natural causes which at that time was tuberculosis.

[Lowell Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew very little about Spinoza. His interactions in mid-1600's Netherlands with Jews, Catholics and protestants like Mennonites and the strict Dutch Calvinists. Most of the religious groups violently opposed his scientific approach to to the bible and philosophy, considering him an atheist. Spinoza was totally opposed to war and tried to avoid violence when ever he could. That's why he refused to have most of his writings published until after his death. What he did publish was only in Latin. He would not allow his writings to be translated into Dutch because of how negatively he thought the general public would react. The most surprising aspect of his life was the interaction he had with Dutch Mennonites many of whom were sympathetic to some of his views.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a personal biography of Spinoza, much more concise than Nadler's (not to mention Jonathan Israel's), and more historically-oriented than focused on philosophical analysis of Spinoza's thought. Buruma gives a vivid account of 17th century Holland, its gradual decline from a relatively tolerant state into a land of "ultimi barbarorum" frenzied by religious zeal (the description of the lynching of the de Witt brothers especially stood out for me), and of course the life of a humble philosopher turned lensmaker amid the chaos of the times. One can't help but admire Spinoza's integrity and that he even managed to not die a violent death is nothing short of a miracle.

[Mees · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ster. Aan Sander gegeven in de hoop dat het een toegankelijke introductie zou zijn tot het (politieke) denken van Spinoza, maar in dat opzicht viel het wat tegen. Buruma heeft eerder een "klassieke" biografie geschreven, waarin Spinoza's levensloop en de context waarin die zich begeeft voorop staan. Het gevolg is dat het gedachtegoed wat summier wordt behandeld. Desalniettemin is het boek prettig leesbaar, en resteert er een redelijk positief beeld van Spinoza, vooral dankzij zijn gedurfde eigenzinnigheid en voorliefde voor vrijheid en rationaliteit (en ondanks onder andere zijn elitarisme en misogynie).

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Books in the Jewish Lives series tend to be "appreciations" rather than actual biographies. Thus the one on Maimonides which I recently read followed my reading of the full-length biography and scholarly study, and help me to appreciate the facts and issues better. In the case of Spinoza, I have not read a biography yet, so I have not much to base a judgement on. I didn't finish the book feeling that I had much of a grasp of Spinoza. Also, as usual, I listen to the audiobook, and the narrator had some absolutely bizarre pronunciations of names and places, and kept referring to the immorality of the soul when the author had written the immortality of the soul.

[Lorinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful summary of Spinoza''s life and work. The writing is clear and engaging. The book gives a general picture of intellectual life in the Dutch republic of the 17th century. The author also covers Spinoza's Jewish background. My husband, who is a philosopher, says that Spinoza is a rationalist situated in time between Descartes and Leibniz. He admits that he never really read or studied Spinoza's work. In my view, it is unfortunate that Spinoza is not better known but this excellent book serves as a good introduction. He defended the freedom to think independently.

[Nienke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting parts on Spinoza his life, thoughts and how these were received and how he was ostracized. Being light years ahead of his time in underlining the purity of reason at high cost on his own life.

His thoughts would be welcome in public debate in more and more populist governments, that undermine everything he stood for.

Reason for only three stars was that it was not easy to read: many people, events are mentioned and the overload of facts and details, even though they all contributed made it a dry read.

I am interested to find out more on his thinking now tough :)

[djcb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buruma's booklet about Baruch Spinoza, the famous 17th century philosopher; the book gives an overview of Spinoza's life as genuine philosopher, cast out by his native rabbis and the reformed-church alike in the explosive late 17th century Netherlands, with wars and mobs. Careful with publishing his words but never straying from his philosophical convictions. A fascinating time, but an easy one for free-thinkers.

Learnt a bit about Spinoza's ideas, which seem not all that remarkable.. in 2025. Guess he won after all?

[Elias Schue · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk man I saw this in the English section of a romanian bookstore because I thought it would be a biography of Spinoza and I don't really understand much beyond the broader stuff of Spinoza's work, but it kinda doesn't adress any of Spinoza's philosophy, and when that's taken out he was kind of just a dude who lived in Amsterdam for a bit who got excommunicated. The book seems more interested in possible influences on Spinoza, and how he was an early example of someone being "cancelled" and it just kinda fell flat, for me.

[Pie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives a light honest biography of Spinoza, where he came from, what he did and when, what we can say about the people who were close to him.

But what I lacked was a deeper exploration of what he thought. Maybe I should just read Spinozas own books, but I don't know think I will. Right now I read a whole book on the man and I barely know his philosophy. If I'd read Jonathan Israel's book on Spinoza, and if I had made it through all the way, I would know what Spinoza thought.

[Mark V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and Concise

Buruma provides an excellent summary of Spinoza’s theology and philosophy. He forgoes the usual turgid writing of philosophers in favor of clear explication that is accessible and even enjoyable for any attentive reader. This brief biography also provides a wonderful overview of 17th century Dutch society and government.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buruma sets up a convincing argument that paints Spinoza in a courageous light. As a Jew the philosopher faced ostracism from his community for his radical beliefs, to the extent he was forbidden to attend his mother's funeral. His beliefs would become the foundation for Enlightenment philosophies, which in turn formed the bedrock of the US Constitution.

[Riet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na de uitgebreide Spinoza biografie van Jonathan Israel is dit boek een stuk makkelijker te lezen. Spinoza blijft een interessante persoon, hoewel er eigenlijk niet zoveel over hem bekend is. Toch krijg je ook door dit boek wel een aardig idee van hem. Het is een zeer leesbaar boek. Het laatste hoofdstuk met de Interpretatie van de betekenis van Spinoza voor onze tijd is erg interessant.