Spinoza: A Guide for the Perplexed

Guides for the Perplexed

by Charles Jarrett

Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Benedict de Spinoza is a major philosopher of enduring influence and importance, whose work is encountered by all serious students of Western philosophy; his Ethics is one of the seminal works of moral, religious and political thought. Nevertheless, Spinoza is a considerable challenge for the modern student; his language, rooted in the vocabulary of late medieval scholasticism is frequently opaque, while the esoteric themes explored in his work often require elucidation. Spinoza: A Guide for the Perplexed provides that elucidation, offering a thorough account and analysis of Spinoza's key works and overall philosophical project. The text equips the reader with the necessary means to draw full and clear understanding from Spinoza's often inaccessible language and complex philosophical system and method. His Ethics and political treatises are covered in detail; Spinoza's 'geometrical' approach to his subject is opened up, and his obscure terminology fully explained. The book concludes with a valuable assessment of Spinoza's enduring influence and his relevance for contemporary philosophical debates and concerns. It is an excellent support resource for anyone trying to get to grips with this challenging and important philosopher.

Genres: Philosophy, History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published June 11, 2007

Reviews

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jarrett does an excellent job of guiding the reader through Spinoza's Ethics (primarily) on the assumption that the reader is at the same time reading Spinoza's work for themselves. I have been unable to get past the opening parts of the Ethics in several previous attempts. With this guide alongside the text I was very soon unwilling to skip any of Spinoza's words or to accept anything Jarrett said without wanting to check and, at times, disagree. By the end I was confident that I could argue with Jarrett on quite a few matters, that his far too clever final remarks were entirely mistaken, and that like the best teachers he had enabled his pupil to surpass his guidance and think for myself, which of course I could not have achieved without him.

[Ariel Starling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure why I bothered with this.