A Theological-Political Treatise [Part IV]
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~28,600 words · 136 passages
Cite this work
- APABaruch Spinoza. (n.d.). A Theological-Political Treatise [Part IV]. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/baruch-spinoza/a-theological-political-treatise-part-iv
- MLABaruch Spinoza. "A Theological-Political Treatise [Part IV]." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/baruch-spinoza/a-theological-political-treatise-part-iv.
- ChicagoBaruch Spinoza. A Theological-Political Treatise [Part IV]. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/baruch-spinoza/a-theological-political-treatise-part-iv.
What it is about
Fourth and last part of Elwes's translation: the political chapters, from natural right to freedom of thought.
Context and history
Published without an author's name in 1670, under a false imprint, and banned in 1674: it was the most dangerous book of its century, and contemporaries understood this at once. The thesis that carries everything is that the freedom to philosophise does not threaten piety or the peace of the state — suppressing it is what destroys them. To get there, Spinoza does something no one had done with such rigour: he reads Scripture as a historical document, written by men for men, in which prophecy is vivid imagination rather than knowledge, and miracles can prove nothing, because nothing happens outside the order of nature. Modern biblical criticism descends from this. The final chapters draw the political consequence: the covenant transfers power but not the capacity to think, and a state that tries to rule over opinions therefore injures itself. The English translation is Elwes's, of 1883, divided into four parts in the corpus.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
[17:0] CHAPTER XVII.- It is shown, that no one can or need transfer all his Rights to the Sovereign Power. Of the Hebrew Republic, as it was during the lifetime of Moses, and after his death till the foundation of the Monarchy; and of its Excellence. Lastly, of the Causes why the Theocratic Republic fell, and why it could hardly have continued without Dissension. [17:1] The absolute theory, of Sovereignty ideal - No one can in fact transfer all his rights to the Sovereign power. Evidence of this. [17:2] The greatest danger in all States from within, not without. [17:3] Original independence of the Jews after the Exodus. [17:4] Changed first to a pure democratic Theocracy. [17:5] Then to subjection to Moses. [17:6] Then to a Theocracy with the power divided between the high priest and the captains. [17:7] The tribes confederate states. [17:8] Restraints on the civil power. [17:9] Restraints on the people. [17:A] Causes of decay involved in the constitution of the Levitical priesthood. [18:0] CHAPTER XVIII.- From the Commonwealth