Description

An engaging guide to what Spinoza can teach us about life's big questions

In 1656, after being excommunicated from Amsterdam's Portuguese-Jewish community for "abominable heresies" and "monstrous deeds," the young Baruch Spinoza abandoned his family's import business to dedicate his life to philosophy. He quickly became notorious across Europe for his views on God, the Bible, and miracles, as well as for his uncompromising defense of free thought. Yet the radicalism of Spinoza's views has long obscured that his primary reason for turning to philosophy was to answer one of humanity's most urgent questions: How can we lead a good life and enjoy happiness in a world without a providential God? In Think Least of Death, Steven Nadler connects Spinoza's ideas with his life and times to offer a compelling account of how the philosopher can provide a guide to living one's best life.

"Spinoza always has more to teach us, and Steven Nadler is among the best in laying out the riches of Spinoza's thought in ways both accessible and inspiring."--Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away

"Think Least of Death is a lively, engaging, and enjoyable introduction to Spinoza's moral philosophy. Steven Nadler, a gifted writer, has produced a stimulating account of Spinoza's answer to the question of what makes a good human life."--Clare Carlisle, author of Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard