Description
Book SynopsisTrue Freedom: Spinoza''s Practical Philosophy is a straightforward presentation of Spinoza''s philosophy focused on the issue of how one might live. The book is unique among recent Spinoza scholarship in the way in which it centers on the ethical component in Spinoza''s work. In order to bring Spinoza''s ethics to the fore, Brent Adkins begin with what he considers to be Spinoza''s fundamental ethical insight: namely, that emotions are controlled by understanding them. Adkins reveals how the process of unfolding Spinoza''s philosophy is always anchored in the very practical issue of living well. The significance of True Freedom lies in its understanding of Spinoza''s ethics as an experimentalism and its accessibility to a very wide audience. Despite the fact that Spinoza died over 300 years ago, his writings remain remarkably prescient for a wide variety of disciplines, from religion to neuroscience. The source of this prescience, however, comes from Spinoza''s recasting ethical theo
Trade ReviewA real strength of True Freedom is that it does not water down Spinoza’s views beyond recognition in order to make them accessible. As a Spinoza specialist and a professor, I gleaned some really good ideas from the manuscript about how to present and explain some of Spinoza’s more difficult ideas without completely losing my students. I could recommend the book to other specialists and teachers of early modern philosophy as a source of helpful pedagogical approaches. -- J. Thomas Cook Cook, Rollins College
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction: Spinoza: A User's Guide Chapter 2 Chapter 1: The Curious Incident of the Rude Driver in the SUV Chapter 3 Chapter 2: What's Love Got to do with It? Chapter 4 Chapter 3: On not being oneself, or the Shmoopy Effect Chapter 5 Chapter 4: The Big Picture Chapter 6 Chapter 5: What is Mind? No matter. What is Matter? Never mind. Chapter 7 Chapter 6: True Freedom Chapter 8 Chapter 7: Bodies in Motion Chapter 9 Chapter 8: The Body Politic Chapter 10 Chapter 9: Religion Chapter 11 Chapter 10: The Environment Chapter 12 Conclusion: How to be a Spinozist in Three Easy Steps
