It is difficult to estimate how Spinoza himself would think about this book.

But I'm afraid that at best, he would have found it highly entertaining. It is extremely strange how someone who apparently taught for years about Descartes, Spinoza, etc. could miss the mark so badly.

According to the author, his philosophy would be a reaction to / follow from / be inextricably linked to the suffering of the Marranos / Sephardic Jews.

This then culminates in the following consideration: "Spinoza now delves into a kind of Cartesian kabbalism: the Cartesian methodology, applied to the fundamental questions of the kabbalah, and all of it set out in proofs that show something of the logical structure of reality" (p. 206).

No kidding. The original title is therefore more appropriate than the Dutch translation.

My exposure to Baruch Spinoza had mainly consisted of whispers that carried a hint of warning.

However, as this heretic of the Jewish canon is brought to life in this portrayal by Ms. Goldstein, who vividly describes the historical confluences of narratives, peoples, and attitudes in 17th century Europe, it becomes extremely difficult not to develop a profound respect for the man who was born ahead of his era.

Whether one concurs with his ideas or not, Spinoza's intellectual courage and the depth of his philosophical inquiries are truly remarkable.

His unwavering commitment to exploring the nature of God, the universe, and human existence, despite facing significant opposition and ostracism, is a testament to his remarkable spirit.

Ms. Goldstein's detailed and engaging account allows us to see Spinoza not just as a controversial figure but as a complex and deeply思考的 philosopher whose ideas continue to have a profound impact on modern thought.

An academic philosopher's journey begins with her very first childhood awareness of Spinoza. Her Orthodox Jewish historia teacher presented Spinoza as a cautionary tale, warning against the alluring yet dangerous path of philosophy that could lead one astray into atheism.

From this initial encounter, she projects the objections that her graduate philosophy mentor, one of the last Vienna Circle logical positivists, would have had towards Spinoza. She notes the striking parallels in form between these objections and those of the Orthodox.

Over the years of teaching Spinoza to philosophy students, her love for him grew. However, her own Analytical objections to his reasoning persisted. By explaining these objections, she is able to justify delving into the personal motivations and life of a philosopher who aimed to开辟 a way for people to break free from the trivialities of identity and personal life and move towards the unfolding logic of the universe, the mind of God, and the self-causing substance.

Goldstein then lays out Spinoza's historical circumstances and uses the limited evidence available to construct a fictional account of his personal life. This can be quite convincing, demonstrating how someone raised as a prodigy of Torah and Talmud, with the influence of Lurianic Kabbalah in the air, would be primed to create a system so thoroughly dominated by impersonal universal logic. However, it also appears lopsided and overreaching, as historical reconstructions based on modern identity categories often tend to be. At times, it has the sweet and overly sanitized feel of popular science writing.

On the whole, this work serves as a good introduction to both Spinoza's work and his personal life. It offers valuable insights and perspectives, although it may have some limitations in its fictionalized approach to historical reconstruction.

Overall, I truly liked the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story that Goldstein had to tell.

However, upon further reflection, I find that the book fell short of my initial expectations. It seemed to be a bit superficial in certain aspects.

Specifically, it didn't really delve deep enough in the crucial area of connecting Spinoza to his Marrano past. This connection is of great significance as it could have provided a more profound understanding of Spinoza's background and how it influenced his philosophical ideas.

Moreover, the book also failed to establish a more in-depth connection between Spinoza and enlightenment modernity. This omission left me with a sense that there was more to explore and discover in this regard.

Despite these shortcomings, I still appreciate the effort Goldstein put into writing the book and the story she presented. It has definitely sparked my interest in Spinoza and his philosophy, and I look forward to further exploring these topics on my own.

May 2023
5 stars

On my second reading of this remarkable book, I find myself completely stumped when attempting to recall why the first reading was so arduous for me.

It is a fascinating combination. Part of it is the autobiographical account of Rebecca, where she shares her personal experience of learning Spinoza while simultaneously teaching it to us. The other part delves into Jewish history, with many meandering breaks to the generations that preceded Spinoza. This allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the community in which he was born and raised, as well as the zeitgeist of his era.

Oh, and I absolutely adored her dear Mrs. Schoenfeld, with her charming British accent and all.

A truly touching excerpt on identity:
Right in the middle of a book whose protagonist's very philosophy is to depersonalize identity,
We encounter this:

"Were such ardent believers as St. Teresa of Ávila, who not only wholeheartedly dedicated themselves to Christianity but were also accepted and even canonized, still incorrigibly Jewish?

Implicit in the unwavering attention of the inquisition is the assumption of indelible Jewish essentialism. No matter how sincere the conversion, no matter how devoutly Christian the life, Jewish ancestry forever branded one as suspect. It was as if certain propositional attitudes - most notably the rejection of Jesus of Galilee as the Messiah - were transmitted in the blood, making true Christian sincerity almost impossible, and for all generations to come. Recidivism was biologically determined, and the formidable office of the inquisition was necessary to pry open the outer Christian shell and reveal the Jewish substance within. A Jew is a Jew is a Jew.

The Marranos were embroiled in some of the same identity-metaphysics as their persecutors. For them too, there was an inviolable truth regarding true Jewish identity that remained untouched by all outer manifestations. They may have undergone formal Christian conversions, taken the sacrament, and gone to confession every week, but within the confessional of their inner being, they too continued to assert their essential Jewishness."

Oct 2020
4 stars
Excellent but difficult. I hadn't realized just how challenging Spinoza can be.

I have a deep affection for Goldstein's book on Goedel. I truly wish that this particular work had adhered more closely to the same format, namely, being composed of half biography and half explanation of the proof/philosophy.

I was eagerly anticipating a more in-depth exploration of Spinoza's philosophy. However, the material that constitutes the historical background, which占据了这本书的大部分篇幅, is actually extremely interesting. After all, it is part of a "jewish thinkers" series.

Moreover, I didn't believe that the "novelization" of his life at the end contributed anything that she hadn't already covered in her speculations about him. Nevertheless, I went along with it all and still found enjoyment in the reading experience.

Overall, despite my initial expectations not being fully met, I was still able to appreciate the various aspects of the book and gain something from it.

A good overview of Spinoza's ideas is presented. Goldstein does an excellent job of covering a significant amount of Jewish diaspora history. This is crucial as it provides the necessary context to understand Spinoza's ideas both within and outside the Jewish community.

By delving into the history of the Jewish diaspora, Goldstein shows how Spinoza's thoughts were influenced by the social and cultural environment in which he lived.

We can see how his ideas were shaped by the experiences and challenges faced by the Jewish people during that time.

Moreover, Goldstein's exploration of the context helps us to appreciate the broader significance of Spinoza's ideas and their impact on different fields.

Overall, this overview offers a comprehensive and engaging look at Spinoza's ideas and their place in history.

This book offers a comprehensive historic background and context regarding the life and philosophy of Spinoza.

Spinoza grew up within the Portuguese Marranos community in Amsterdam. The author presents a captivating and engaging account of the Grand Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. This inquisition compelled numerous Portuguese Jews and Marranos to flee to Amsterdam, which was a haven of (relative) tolerance in 17th century Europe.

The book then proceeds with a vivid portrayal of the Jewish community in Amsterdam where Spinoza spent his formative years, his subsequent excommunication from it, and a concise biography of his relatively short life.

The book also incorporates some of Spinoza's ideas and philosophy. Regrettably, the latter part of the book failed to bring me significantly closer to understanding his philosophy. Moreover, I lament that the author did not devote more time to elaborating on Spinoza's rules of Ethic, which encompass beautiful guidelines for interpersonal relationships.

Nonetheless, I did glean some crucial insights. Spinoza was a radical rationalist, asserting that the sole means to attain Truth is through reason. To achieve this, one must become entirely objective, setting aside one's ego, self, personal identity, emotions, and stepping out of subjectivity to contemplate the world as it truly is. Religions, ethnic, and political identities, among others, all obstruct the attainment of this universal, objective vision.

Spinoza arrived at a love for God through his reasoning. However, the claim that he equated God with Nature was unfortunately not well elucidated and still perplexes me.

Spinoza's legacy is profound. He pioneered Secularism and Modernity in an era when religion and superstition still held sway and were exploited as a means to impose great suffering on those not born into the same religion or who dared to think differently.

Spinoza's notions of tolerance, freedom of religion and speech, and the separation of church and state ultimately found their way into the US Constitution.

This is an essential book to peruse in our times, when religious fanaticism and intolerance have once again reared their ugly heads and when the President of the United States has completely eschewed the use of reason in governing the country.

A memoir, biography, history, and philosophical explication all rolled into one, this offering is part of the sometimes excellent Jewish Encounters Series by the author of Plato at the Googleplex. I have to admit, I think I bombed while reading it. I'm probably not smart enough to fully grok most of its contents. In fact, some parts of it were practically screaming at me to write a question mark in the margin.

For instance, consider this passage: It may be objected that, as we understand God as the cause of all things, we by that very fact regard God as the cause of pain. But I make answer, that, in so far as we understand the causes of pain, it to that extent, ceases to be a passion, that is, it ceases to be pain; therefore in so far as we understand God to be the cause of pain, we to that extent feel pleasure. [Really?]

And then there's this: That is what the problem of evil comes down to: the stubborn stupidity of mankind. [A weak answer before the Theory of Evolution, but certainly inadequate now.]

Despite my struggles, this book certainly held my attention. It is an outstanding and clever overall production that manages to engage the reader on multiple levels, even if it leaves one with more questions than answers at times.

I truly admired the way Goldstein provided detailed historical background to illustrate how Spinoza arrived at the position he did in his thought system. It was fascinating to see how she seamlessly integrated Spinoza's philosophy into a kind of historical-biographical-fictional-autobiographical narrative. By doing so, she made the complex ideas more accessible and engaging for the reader.

The detailed historical context helped to set the stage and understand the influences that shaped Spinoza's thinking. It added depth and richness to the story, allowing us to see the evolution of his ideas over time. The blend of different narrative styles also made the reading experience more diverse and interesting.

Overall, Goldstein's approach was highly effective in presenting Spinoza's philosophy in a unique and captivating way. It not only informed but also entertained, making it a memorable and enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy, history, or just a good story.

Spinoza, a renowned philosopher of the seventeenth century, resided in Amsterdam. His life was intertwined with the complex backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition. He was influenced by the works of Descartes and Leibniz, and also had an in-depth study of the ideas of Maimonides and Kabbalah. This book delves into the life and thoughts of Spinoza, presenting a captivating exploration of his philosophical journey. It uncovers the various factors that shaped his beliefs and the profound impact his ideas had on the intellectual landscape of that era. Through detailed analysis and engaging narrative, the book offers a unique perspective on Spinoza's contributions to philosophy and his place in history.

Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity is a remarkable work by Rebecca Goldstein, published in 2006.

This book delves into the life and ideas of Baruch Spinoza, a figure who defied the norms of his time. Goldstein explores how Spinoza's radical views on religion, philosophy, and ethics led to his ostracism from the Jewish community.

Despite the challenges he faced, Spinoza continued to develop his revolutionary ideas, which had a profound impact on modern thought. His work on pantheism, determinism, and the nature of knowledge laid the foundation for many of the intellectual movements that followed.

Goldstein's engaging writing style brings Spinoza's story to life, making this book accessible to both scholars and general readers alike. By examining the life and ideas of this renegade Jew, we gain a deeper understanding of the roots of modernity and the power of individual thought.

Overall, Betraying Spinoza is a thought-provoking and essential read for anyone interested in the history of philosophy, religion, and the development of modern ideas.