The first English-language translation of Pierre-Fran ois Moreau's seminal study, which fundamentally transforms our inherited understanding of Spinoza's philosophy Presents a systematic reappraisal of Spinoza's philosophical system around the enigmatic concept of experience Demonstrates how Spinoza's concept of experience is essential to an understanding of the Ethics, including such crucial concepts as necessity, infinitude and eternity Bridges the divide in contemporary scholarship between Spinoza the affect theorist and Spinoza the hyper-rationalist What could it mean to feel eternal? Through a detailed study of Spinoza's concept of 'experience', Moreau shows how Spinoza extends the power of reason to domains frequently seen as irrational, from common life to history, language to the passions. Where previously Spinoza's thought was identified exclusively with the geometrical method, Moreau demonstrates that by mobilising his unique account of 'experience', Spinoza is able to capture the singularity of individuals, their lives, languages, passions and societies. With readings of each of Spinoza's most famous works, from the Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect to the Ethics, but also unprecedented studies of minor writings such as the Hebrew Grammar, Moreau renews our understanding of Spinoza's philosophy by showing us how his geometrical and experiential methods operate simultaneously. Finally, this new vision of Spinoza's philosophy illuminates the enigmatic experience of eternity mentioned in Book V of Spinoza's Ethics.

About the Author
Pierre-Fran ois Moreau is Professor of Philosophy at L'Ecole Normale Sup rieure de Lyon, He is a world-renowned specialist in Spinoza. He is the author of Spinoza: L'exp rience et l' ternit (1994), Spinoza: Etat et religion (2005) and Probl mes du spinozisme (2006), along with numerous other books and articles on Spinoza, Greek philosophy, early modern philosophy, the history of humanism and the methodology of the history of philosophy.Robert Boncardo is Tutor in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Sydney. He completed his doctorate in French Studies at the University of Sydney and Aix-Marseille Universit .

Reviews
"An accessible, engaging translation of a fascinating treatment of some of Spinoza's most tantalising themes. On Moreau's highly original reading, Spinoza's affirmation of reason is inter-connected with serious attention to ordinary" experience: a sense of the mind being itself "eternal" is at the heart of human experience of finitude."" -Genevieve Lloyd, Emeritus Professor in Philosophy, University of New South Wales



Book Information
ISBN 9781474438933
Author Pierre-Francois Moreau
Format Paperback
Page Count 688
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press