INTRODUCTION
This document is approximately 2 sides of A4.
Spinoza’s writings
Although Spinoza was a prolific writer, he had good reason to fear for his life, and he had only two of his works published. The first was Descartes’ Principles of Philosophy Parts I & II, Demonstrated in the Geometrical Manner, together with Spinoza’s Metaphysical Thoughts (1663). In this work, he expounded Descartes’ philosophy using the same geometrical method as he would later use for his own Ethics. The second was his Theologico-Political Treatise (1670), which got him into deep trouble, despite its being published anonymously, and with false title pages in different editions.
In addition to non-philosophical works, such as a treatise on optics, and a Hebrew grammar, he also wrote the following:
Treatise on the Correction of the Understanding (c.1660, unfinished)
Short Treatise on God, Man, and his Well-Being (c.1662)
Political Treatise (unfinished)
Ethics (finished c.1675)
Shortly after his death in 1677, most of these works, and extracts from his voluminous correspondence, were published in Latin (some also translated into Dutch).
The Ethics
Although the Ethics was not printed during Spinoza’s lifetime, manuscript copies were made available to trusted individuals. Interestingly, Spinoza refused to let Leibniz have a copy in 1675 (though the following year they had 4 days of intense discussion when Leibniz was passing through The Hague).
The work has five parts:
1. On God
2. On the Nature and Origin of the Mind
3. On the Origin and Nature of the Affections
4. On Human Servitude, or on the Powers of the Affections
5. On the Power of the Understanding, or on Human Freedom
I have translated Part 1 (which amounts to about 15% of the whole work). I have not included any of the minor additions or amendments in the Dutch translation.
There are two relatively modern and relatively complete editions of Spinoza’s writings:
J. Van Vloten and J.P.N. Land (eds.), Benedicti de Spinoza Opera, 2 vols (The Hague, Nijhoff, 1882–83)
Carl Gebhart (ed.) Spinoza Opera, 4 vols (Heidelberg, Winters, 1925)
I have used the Gebhart edition (vol. 2), which is generally regarded as the better of the two. Page numbers refer to this edition (in fact he gives two page numbers, one being the page number of the Ethics, and the other the page number of the volume — I have used the latter).
There are many English translations, including the following:
Edwin Curley (trans. and ed.), A Spinoza Reader (Princeton University Press, 1994). This is a generally very accurate translation — though sometimes too literal and too stilted for my taste, and with an infuriating lay-out. It has a useful introduction, and a good selection from Spinoza’s lesser-known writings. It is taken from a larger project of which only the first volume has so far appeared: Edwin Curley (trans. and ed.), The Collected Works of Spinoza, Vol. 1 (Princeton University Press, 1985).
Samuel Shirley (trans. and ed.), Spinoza: The Ethics, and Selected Letters (Indianapolis, Hackett, 1982). Possibly a rather better translation, but not so widely available.
R.H.M. Elwes (trans. and ed.), The Chief Works of Spinoza (Bell, 1883). Very dated and inaccurate, but often still reprinted, since it is now out of copyright.
A. Boyle (trans. and ed.), Spinoza’s Ethics and De Intellectus Emendatione (London, Dent [Everyman], 1910). Stilted, and inaccurate.
Go to the Index to Spinoza
texts
Go to the Introduction to Spinoza