Tractatus theologico-politicus

The Tractatus theologico - politicus is a copy of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. The 1670 printed in Amsterdam work was anonymous and misleading information published about its origin, for example, place of publication and name of the printer, as Spinoza developed his signature in the philosophical and theological ideas about the freedom of thought and religion appeared to be explosive. The work was banned in 1674.

The only copy was in the Senate Room of the Albertus University of Königsberg. 1945 saved by Oskar Ehrhardt from the rubble, she came on adventurous paths to the University of Haifa.

Background

Not infrequently, said of the Tractatus, it was stated that it was a political tendency Scripture to defend the policies of the brothers de Witt in the Dutch Republic. In the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was probably one of the most liberal states in Europe. Religion and freedom of thought, however, were in acute danger of the domestic and foreign policy developments. Thus the republic was shaken inside by the attempts of the Calvinists, to compete against the other religious communities and to gain political influence. The simmering conflict between the House of Orange -Nassau and the States General for political power was another factor in the weakening of the Republic. In the exterior, the Netherlands, whose prosperity depended on it to trade fell, again and again into armed conflict. Their last slightly more often successful course of the policy of the Council Pensionary Johan de Witt was attributed, calls for the establishment of a governor in the person of William III. of Orange- Nassau were loud. Associated with this was a limitation of the republican liberties.

Content

The document provides a critique of religious intolerance and a plea for a secularized society dar. same time Spinoza defends with his Tractatus ( posthumously published ) book on ethics, which had earned him harsh criticism.

Content treated Spinoza two major issues. Chapters 1-15 deal with religious and biblical criticism. In Chapters 16 to 20 Spinoza represents his political philosophy

Chapter 1 to 15

Spinoza, himself of Jewish origin, subjects not only Christianity, but with Judaism and Islam, the other revealed religions a systematic review and declares that not blind faith, but critical reason must be the scale of human action and thought. Consequently, he refers prophecies, miracles and supernatural phenomena in the realm of legend, because they are not real. God himself does not act according to a teleological principle - this is merely a human assumption that was conceived out of fear - but according to rules which are in accordance with his own nature and so would be tantamount to natural laws.

For Spinoza religions are nothing more than institutionalized interpretations theologically significant writings and events by particulate representatives provide these religions. Thus, for him, the five books of Moses, not the work of the Old Testament figure of Moses himself, as it was believed until then. Using the text-critical analysis rather Spinoza comes to the conclusion that these books have been compiled over a long period of time by the Jewish priesthood.

He also criticizes the belief that the Jews are God's chosen people. He, however, considers that were equal before God all people and that God had awarded no people in front of another. The idea of chosenness is merely a construct of Judaism, which have helped this, the face of massive persecution by numerically far superior peoples to preserve their own identity and their own survival by encapsulation. In this context, Spinoza also mentions circumcision as a key feature of this Jewish identity. The Torah, however, is a document that reflected the governmental and religious conditions of early Israel; so that it could not be more timely for the modern era.

Chapter 16 to 20

In the political part of the Tractatus Spinoza occurs ultimately one for the independence of the state from religion and freedom of thought of the citizens against the state.

To this end, Spinoza developed his political philosophy from the state of nature on the formation of states and the separation of state and religion, to the reasons why the individual certain natural freedoms in the state state can not give up and why it works for the state even is good if the Individual his possibly differing opinion from the state also represents publicly.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, such as Thomas Hobbes, the state of nature Spinoza provides no justice scale and no normative criteria. The natural right of everyone extends to everything that is in his power to perform. This natural right and power can be equated. By this equation there is in its natural state does not "just" or " unjust", there are only the things to which you have the power.