Power and the Commune: Priority of Power to Right in Political Philosophy of Spinoza
Subject Areas : Research in Theoritical Politics
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Shahid Beheshti University
Keywords: Right Desire (cupiditas) nature natural law political theology of grace,
Abstract :
Baruch Benedict Spinoza’s theoretical constellation formulates a theory of right and law that prepares bases for his special rationalism and humanism that is specific to republican political philosophy. This philosophy of right and law relies on metaphysics of power and prefigures the “Multitude” and the “Commune”. This philosophy of right and law is one of the many unique aspects of Spinoza`s practical philosophy. Spinoza`s theory of right as articulated in his political essays Ethica and Tractatus Politicus is as following: The more right extends, the more power extends and since society or commune produces more power, it produces more right. This unique aspect of practical philosophy of Spinoza relies on some aspects of old theory of right and law. In other words, the right and law theory of Spinoza can be considered one of Spinoza’s bonds with old traditions. The right and law Spinoza theory relies on “power” and considers “Multitude” and “Commune”.
