Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension
In this article I examine how the teleological reading of Spinoza’s conatus shapes the ethical trajectory of his philosophy. I first introduce the Spinozistic criticism of teleology and argue contra many critics that Spinoza has a mild approach to human teleology. On the basis of this idea, I develo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The NKUA Applied Philosophy Research Laboratory
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Conatus - Journal of Philosophy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/Conatus/article/view/25661 |
| _version_ | 1817988501602304000 |
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| author | Neşe Aksoy |
| author_facet | Neşe Aksoy |
| author_sort | Neşe Aksoy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article I examine how the teleological reading of Spinoza’s conatus shapes the ethical trajectory of his philosophy. I first introduce the Spinozistic criticism of teleology and argue contra many critics that Spinoza has a mild approach to human teleology. On the basis of this idea, I develop the claim that conatus is a teleological element pertaining to human nature. From the teleological reading of conatus, I draw the conclusion that Spinozistic ethics is inclusive of objective, humanistic, and essentialist elements. In this sense, this paper emerges to be a challenge against the anti-teleological reading of conatus that is predominantly related to the subjectivistic, anti-humanistic, and non-essentialist interpretation of Spinoza’s ethics. It mainly situates Spinoza in a traditionally teleological context where the human conatus is seen as an act of pursuing objective and essential moral ends that is distinctive to human nature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:35:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-487858b2b48b4780a2e82db106fc592c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2653-9373 2459-3842 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:35:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | The NKUA Applied Philosophy Research Laboratory |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conatus - Journal of Philosophy |
| spelling | doaj.art-487858b2b48b4780a2e82db106fc592c2022-12-22T02:22:23ZengThe NKUA Applied Philosophy Research LaboratoryConatus - Journal of Philosophy2653-93732459-38422021-12-016210.12681/cjp.25661Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical DimensionNeşe Aksoy0Mimar Sinan Fine Arts UniversityIn this article I examine how the teleological reading of Spinoza’s conatus shapes the ethical trajectory of his philosophy. I first introduce the Spinozistic criticism of teleology and argue contra many critics that Spinoza has a mild approach to human teleology. On the basis of this idea, I develop the claim that conatus is a teleological element pertaining to human nature. From the teleological reading of conatus, I draw the conclusion that Spinozistic ethics is inclusive of objective, humanistic, and essentialist elements. In this sense, this paper emerges to be a challenge against the anti-teleological reading of conatus that is predominantly related to the subjectivistic, anti-humanistic, and non-essentialist interpretation of Spinoza’s ethics. It mainly situates Spinoza in a traditionally teleological context where the human conatus is seen as an act of pursuing objective and essential moral ends that is distinctive to human nature.https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/Conatus/article/view/25661conatushumanisticSpinozaessentialistteleologyethicality |
| spellingShingle | Neşe Aksoy Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension Conatus - Journal of Philosophy conatus humanistic Spinoza essentialist teleology ethicality |
| title | Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension |
| title_full | Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension |
| title_fullStr | Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension |
| title_short | Spinoza’s Conatus: A Teleological Reading of Its Ethical Dimension |
| title_sort | spinoza s conatus a teleological reading of its ethical dimension |
| topic | conatus humanistic Spinoza essentialist teleology ethicality |
| url | https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/Conatus/article/view/25661 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neseaksoy spinozasconatusateleologicalreadingofitsethicaldimension |