Spinoza Contra Phenomenology: French Rationalism from Cavaillès to Deleuze

by Knox Peden

Spinoza Contra Phenomenology fundamentally recasts the history of postwar French thought, typically presumed to have been driven by a critique of reason indebted to Nietzsche and Heidegger. Although the reception of phenomenology gave rise to many innovative developments in French philosophy, from existentialism to deconstruction, not everyone in France was pleased with this German import. This book recounts how a series of French philosophers used Spinoza to erect a bulwark against the nominally irrationalist tendencies of phenomenology. From its beginnings in the interwar years, this rationalism would prove foundational for Althusser's rethinking of Marxism and Deleuze's ambitious metaphysics. There has been a renewed enthusiasm for Spinozism of late by those who see his work as a kind of neo-vitalism or philosophy of life and affect. Peden counters this trend by tracking a decisive and neglected aspect of Spinoza's philosophy—his rationalism—in a body of thought too often presumed to have rejected reason. In the process, he demonstrates that the virtues of Spinoza's rationalism have yet to be exhausted.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Theory

484 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2014

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very challenging work that requires (and rewards) careful reading, detours for background reading (the basics of Spinoza are essential), and re-reading. In addition to being a remarkable re-interpretation of 20th-century French philosophy, it is also significant as a type of intellectual-historical argument, in which philosophical arguments become the agents of historical change. In short a tour-de-force, highly recommended for Spinoza specialists, French intellectual historians, and advanced readers of Continental philosophy.

[Michael A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very difficult and dense, but there is a lot of useful information here.

[Vittirivizzik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read Dessanti and Althusser parts. I highly recommend. Very articulately demonstrates how the designated topics are related to Spinoza. There aren't any "proper" sources for tracking french philosophy, Cavailles is very recently translated to English and Gueroult was translated minimally. The book not only provides a detailed explanation of "rare-known" figures of French philosophy but composes these figures in the thematic of Spinoza. If you are interested with any figures mentioned in this book, I repeat, it is highly recommended.

[Noah Christiansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read:
- Preface
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven