Synopses & Reviews
Father of the Enlightenment and the last guardian of the medieval world, Spinoza made a brilliant attempt to reconcile the conflicting moral and intellectual demands of his epoch and to present a vision of man as simultaneously bound by necessity and eternally free. Ostracized by the Jewish community in Amsterddam to which he was born, Spinoza developed a political philosophy that set out to justify the secular state ruled by a liberal constitution, and a metaphysics that sought to reconcile human freedom with a belief in scientific explanation. Here, Roger Scruton presents a clear and systematic analysis of Spinoza's thought and shows its relevance to today's intellectual preoccupations.
Review
"What's Wrong? presents applied ethics at its finest. Boonin and Oddie have collected an ideal assortment of compact, well-argued papers on an impressive range of issues. Additionally, they provide outstanding section introductions throughout. I recommend this volume with enthusiasm."--Ted A.
Warfield, University of Notre Dame
"Excellent selection of readings--perfect for an introduction to ethics course. The inclusion of materials on the family, smoking tobacco, criminalizing blackmail, and other non-standard applied ethics topics makes this a unique text in the field."--Eric Rovie, Webster University
Review
Review from previous edition: "...an interesting and provocative guide'"--Christian Science Monitor
"His exposition is beautifully lucid."--Expository Times
About the Author
Roger Scruton was Lecturer in Philosophy 1971-79, Reader 1979-85, and Professor of Aesthetics 1985-92 at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Life and Character
2. Background
3. God
4. Man
5. Freedom
6. The Body Politic
7. Spinoza's Legacy
Glossary
Further Reading
Index