Politics, Ontology and Knowledge in Spinoza

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Matheron
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Original Interpretation

Alexandre Matheron (1926–2020) worked and wrote substantially on the 17th century philosopher Benedict de Spinoza beginning with the publication of his influential 1969 masterpiece Individu et communauté chez Spinoza. Widely considered one of the most important and original interpreters of Spinoza’s philosophy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but whose work was rarely translated into English, the 20 essays gathered here span the entirety of Matheron’s prolific career and present to the Anglophone the first collection of its kind outside of France. From texts on Spinoza’s epistemology and metaphysics to his signature interpretation of Spinoza’s political philosophy, Matheron’s work touches on every imaginable theme in the Spinozist corpus from Spinoza’s views on sexuality to his relationship to his predecessors, contemporaries, and inheritors such as Aquinas, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Rousseau to Spinoza’s latent communism and importance for the development of Spinozist Marxism in France. Complete with a substantial interview conducted by two of Matheron’s best known students, Laurent Bove and Pierre-François Moreau, and a comprehensive bibliography of Matheron’s publications, this is a crucial collection for anyone seeking to understand 20th-century continental Spinozism. Whether it be the established scholar looking for translations of difficult to find essays or the advanced undergraduate or graduate student in search of reliable secondary literature on Spinoza, this volume is the perfect introduction to Matheron’s rigorous, masterful, and original interpretation of Spinoza’s philosophy.

Karl Popper und das Staatsverständnis des Kritischen Rationalismus

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
The Political ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Open Society ◽  
Social Reformer ◽  
Theory Of Science ◽  
German Politics

Hardly anyone has defended an open society in the political philosophy of the 20th century as passionately as Karl Popper. His understanding of democracy is closely linked with his theory of science and criticism of Plato, Hegel and Marx. As a liberal and a social reformer, he has been a key figure in influencing German politics across party lines since the 1970s. Reviews of Popper’s work can even be found in the theory and teachings of constitutional law (namely those of Peter Häberle) and in Germany’s constitutional court. Even today, Popper’s works can be used to take a stance against not only dictatorships and concepts of ‘communities’, but also against the pseudo-liberal, merciless form of capitalism embodied by so-called ‘Ich-AGs’ (single companies founded by unemployed individuals).

scholarly journals Thom Brooks's Project of a Systematic Reading of Hegel's Philosophy of Right

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (02) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Redding
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Family Law ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Substantive Issue ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
Philosophy Of Right ◽  
Central Claim

Thom Brooks'sHegel's Political Philosophy: A Systematic Reading of the Philosophy of Rightpresents a very clear and methodologically self-conscious series of discussions of key topics within Hegel's classic text. As one might expect for a ‘systematic’ reading, the main body of Brooks's text commences with an opening chapter on Hegel's system. Then follow seven chapters, the topics of which (property, punishment, morality, family, law, monarchy, war) are encountered sequentially as one reads through thePhilosophy of Right. Brooks's central claim is that too often Hegel's theories or views on any of these topics are misunderstood because of a tendency to isolate the relevant passages from the encompassing structure of thePhilosophy of Rightitself, and, in turn, from Hegel's system of philosophy as a whole, with its logical underpinnings. Brooks is clearly right in holding that Hegel hadintendedthePhilosophy of Rightto be read against the background of ‘the system’ and the ‘logic’ articulating it —nobody doubts that— but there is a further substantive issue here.Shouldcontemporary readers heed Hegel's advice? Brooks's answer is emphatically in the affirmative, and what results is a series of illuminating discussions in which he makes a case for his own interpretations on the basis of systematic considerations, presented against a range of alternatives taken from the contemporary secondary literature, which is amply covered, often in the extensive endnotes to the book.

Capitalism Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

2020 ◽  
pp. 19-37
Author(s):  
Daniel Halliday ◽  
John Thrasher
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Golden Age ◽  
Adam Smith ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
John Stuart Mill ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
The Way

This chapter seeks to convey the way in which political economy, as an academic discipline, attempts to unify what are now recognized as the distinct disciplines of economics and political philosophy. This will be done largely by way of a historical narrative, one that details the rise of political economy and the authors behind it, such as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill, before providing some reasons for its decline in the 20th century as academia underwent increased specialization and fragmentation. This will provide some background for appreciating the comeback that political economy is now enjoying, as another golden age is perhaps approaching.

BEGGING THE QUESTION WITH STYLE: ANARCHY, STATE, AND UTOPIA AT THIRTY YEARS

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara H. Fried
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Begging The Question ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
The Status

At 30 years' distance, it is safe to say that Nozick's Anarchy, State and Utopia has achieved the status of a classic. It is not only the central text for all contemporary academic discussions of libertarianism; with Rawls's A Theory of Justice, it arguably frames the landscape of academic political philosophy in second half of 20th century. Many factors, obviously account for the prominence of the book. This paper considers one: the book's use of rhetoric to charm and disarm its readers, simultaneously establishing Nozick's credibility with readers, turning them on his ideological opponents, and helping his argument over some of its more serious substantive difficulties.

scholarly journals New Confucian Political Philosophy - Tu Wei-Ming’s Fiduciary Community

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Weber
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
New Confucianism

This paper engages with the thought of the contemporary New Confucian and Harvard scholar Tu Wei-ming. Its particular focus is on what could be termed “New Confucian Political Philosophy.” Yet, is it appropriate to speak of a specific political philosophy within Confucianism, or, more specifically, within its 20th century successor New Confucianism? Is it fit to use familiar categories of political philosophy such as liberal-communitarian, individual-society, or democratic-authoritarian in order to scrutinise New Confucianism? Taking questions such as these seriously, this paper starts with some important methodological issues and only then turns to Tu Wei-ming’s proposal of a fiduciary community, that is, of a community of trust. Among other issues, the Confucian family, self-cultivation, and the concept of politics as rectification are discussed. At the end, Tu Wei-ming’s ideas of how to make this Confucian sense of politics and of community contribute to contemporary political philosophy are briefly addressed.

scholarly journals Eurasianism: global challenges and the new world order in A.G. Dugin’s political philosophy

2021 ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Chun'tsze Net Vei
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
New World ◽  
World Order ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Breeding Ground ◽  
New World Order ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
The World ◽  
Pandemic Threat

The “Eurasianism” concept originates from the philosophical ideas of the early 20th century emphasising the unity of the Post-Soviet political space and its unique, non-Western direction of development. Recently, the world order is being checked for strength: the global challenges are presenting the states with a necessity to reconsider the existing world order, which serves as a breeding ground for the implementation of the ideas of Eurasianism in the regional context. In such a way, the Professor of the National Eurasian University Aleksandr Dugin, who has devoted most of his career to the research of the Eurasianism theory, in his theory expresses a belief that the historically formed non-Western worldview of the Post-Soviet states justifies the idea about the authenticity of their statehood. Today, the Eurasianism concept is institutionalized within the CIS and the EEU, and is especially relevant in the context of the new global challenges (economic instability, the change of the world order nature, the pandemic threat, etc), which allow specking about the emergence of a new world order.

scholarly journals What is conservatism? History, ideology and party

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bourke
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
French Revolution ◽  
Edmund Burke ◽  
Karl Mannheim ◽  
Conservative Ideology ◽  
History Of ◽  
The French Revolution

Is there a political philosophy of conservatism? A history of the phenomenon written along sceptical lines casts doubt on the existence of a transhistorical doctrine, or even an enduring conservative outlook. The main typologies of conservatism uniformly trace its origins to opposition to the French Revolution. Accordingly, Edmund Burke is standardly singled out as the ‘father’ of this style of politics. Yet Burke was de facto an opposition Whig who devoted his career to assorted programmes of reform. In restoring Burke to his original milieu, the argument presented here takes issue with 20th-century accounts of conservative ideology developed by such figures as Karl Mannheim, Klaus Epstein and Samuel Huntington. It argues that the idea of a conservative tradition is best seen as a belated construction, and that the notion of a univocal philosophy of conservatism is basically misconceived.

Sprawiedliwość umowy społecznej

Etyka ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 83-97
Author(s):  
Jacek Hołówka
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Moral Philosophy ◽  
John Rawls ◽  
Legal Philosophy ◽  
Theory Of Justice ◽  
Principles Of Justice

It is a belief of the author that A Theory of Justice by John Rawls is one of the most fundamental works in moral philosophy written in the 20th century. The principal merit of the book is found in a conceptual framework for a systematic discussion of the issues arising in moral philosophy, political philosophy, and legal philosophy. These discussions lead to the formulation of interrelated criteria of rightness for jurisdiction, legislation, constitutional provisions, uncodified practices and behaviour of individuals. However, the criteria offered by Rawls appear defective in certain conditions. They cannot fully support the principles of liberty and the principles of justice, nor the particular enactments contained in the just constitution.

scholarly journals Millar v Taylor as a precedent for statutory interpretation

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-221
Author(s):  
John J Magyar
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
Statutory Interpretation ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
Exclusionary Rule ◽  
Legislative History ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Judicial Reasoning ◽  
The 19Th Century

Millar v Taylor is an iconic case for statutory interpretation. It has long been regarded as the case in which the rule prohibiting reliance on legislative history was first put forward by Mr. Justice Willes in 1769. However, a close reading of the judgment reveals an uncomfortable fit between the rule that the case purports to stand for and the judicial reasoning within it. Meanwhile, the case was cited frequently throughout the 19th century, but never in support of the exclusionary rule. During that time period, the judiciary was aware of the fact that Mr. Justice Willes’ famous statement was contradicted by reasoning in the case. It was in the 20th century that scholars began citing Millar v Taylor in support of the exclusionary rule—a time when the quantity of published cases and secondary literature had increased significantly, and cases like Millar v Taylor were being cited without necessarily being read. This stands as a cautionary tale: one ought to quote with care, particularly when citing older cases.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document