Spinoza's Political Psychology advances a novel, comprehensive interpretation of Spinoza's political writings, exploring how his analysis of psychology informs his arguments for democracy and toleration. Justin Steinberg shows how Spinoza's political method resembles the Renaissance civic humanism in its view of governance as an adaptive craft that requires psychological attunement. He examines the ways that Spinoza deploys this realist method in the service of empowerment, suggesting that the state can affectively reorient and thereby liberate its citizens, but only if it attends to their actual motivational and epistemic capacities. His book will interest a range of readers in Spinoza studies and the history of political thought, as well as readers working in contemporary political theory.

A comprehensive and novel interpretation of Spinoza's political writings that reveals the significance of the affects for political life.

About the Author
Justin Steinberg is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. He has published articles in journals including the British Journal of the History of Philosophy, History of Philosophy Quarterly, the Journal of the History of Philosophy, and Pacific Philosophical Quarterly.


Book Information
ISBN 9781316506523
Author Justin Steinberg
Format Paperback
Page Count 251
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 370g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 150mm * 10mm