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Spinoza: Philosophy in an Hour

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Spinoza: Philosophy in an Hour

By: Paul Strathern
Narrated by: Jonthan Keeble
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About this listen

Philosophy for busy people. Read a succinct account of the philosophy of Spinoza in just one hour.

Spinoza’s brilliant metaphysical system was derived neither from reality nor experience. Starting from basic axioms (assumptions), by means of a series of geometric proofs he built a universe which was also God – one and the same thing, the classic example of pantheism. While his system may seem an oddity today, Spinoza’s conclusions are deeply in accord with much of modern thought, from science (the holistic ethics of today’s ecologists) to politics (the idea that the sate exists to protect the individual). The compelling beauty of both Spinoza’s system and conclusions are unequalled in the history of philosophy.

Here is a concise, expert account of Spinoza’s life and philosophical ideas that is entertainingly written and easy to understand. Also included are selections from Spinoza’s work, suggested further reading and chronologies that place Spinoza in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.

©2012 Paul Strathern (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Society

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Critic reviews

‘Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them . . .I find them hard to stop reading.’ New York Times

‘Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise’ Wall Street Journal

‘Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character . . . I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization.’ Boston Globe

‘A godsend in this era of the short attention span.’ New York Times
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The author has a clear conservative/Christian bias, and not in a good way. It is condescending, and criticising Spinoza. It's not what someone expects when looking for a book summarizing philosopher and his philosophy in an hour. Allow me to make up my mind, and present facts. Unfortunately this is not what the author does.

Biased against Spinoza

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I've listened to quite a few of the PiaH series and have enjoyed most of them. However, I found this dull and I'm not entirely sure why. Spinoza's life wasn't the most exciting of the philosophers in this series, but it wasn't the least exciting, either.

Dull

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There's really not much here. I know nothing more than a superficial glance is possible in an hour, but that hour could have been better used.

Spinoza: A biography in an hour

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This brief audiobook focuses on Spinoza's life and very little is said of his philosophy. Its pretty snarky too, mostly making fun of Spinoza although at the end he suddenly become brilliant, as if a different author stepped in to say a few words about the philosophy. The narrator is funny. I would sure like a decent audio introduction to Spinoza.

You will not learn much about Spinoza's philosophy

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