Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus
The contention in this paper is that the theological-political disputes Spinoza was concerned with 350 years ago are similar to the conspiratorial disputes we experience today. The world in Spinoza’s Tractatus theologico-politicus, a political intervention in his time, serves as a “mirror image”, th...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | Philosophies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/2/39 |
| _version_ | 1797225924998987776 |
|---|---|
| author | Jamie van der Klaauw |
| author_facet | Jamie van der Klaauw |
| author_sort | Jamie van der Klaauw |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The contention in this paper is that the theological-political disputes Spinoza was concerned with 350 years ago are similar to the conspiratorial disputes we experience today. The world in Spinoza’s Tractatus theologico-politicus, a political intervention in his time, serves as a “mirror image”, that is to say, it deals with the same problem we face today albeit in a different mode. Understanding our contemporary condition under the auspices of a Spinozist perspective, problems in countermeasures to the conspiratorial disputes come to light. Scholarly work and practice focus on the epistemological dimension of conspiracy theories, tying in the extent to which they are problematic to the degree in which they deal in untruth. However, the lesson from Spinoza’s analysis of the theological-political disputes is that such theories do not deal in truth, but, in affect, they do not spring from a lack of education but a lack of certainty. The work of Spinoza opens up a different approach, and if our aim is like that of the TTP, to defend political life against the threat of civil war, such a different approach is in order. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:18:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ee2945675b3740158fcd89098f45da65 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:16:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee2945675b3740158fcd89098f45da652024-04-03T08:42:47ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872021-05-01623910.3390/philosophies6020039Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-PoliticusJamie van der Klaauw0Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The NetherlandsThe contention in this paper is that the theological-political disputes Spinoza was concerned with 350 years ago are similar to the conspiratorial disputes we experience today. The world in Spinoza’s Tractatus theologico-politicus, a political intervention in his time, serves as a “mirror image”, that is to say, it deals with the same problem we face today albeit in a different mode. Understanding our contemporary condition under the auspices of a Spinozist perspective, problems in countermeasures to the conspiratorial disputes come to light. Scholarly work and practice focus on the epistemological dimension of conspiracy theories, tying in the extent to which they are problematic to the degree in which they deal in untruth. However, the lesson from Spinoza’s analysis of the theological-political disputes is that such theories do not deal in truth, but, in affect, they do not spring from a lack of education but a lack of certainty. The work of Spinoza opens up a different approach, and if our aim is like that of the TTP, to defend political life against the threat of civil war, such a different approach is in order.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/2/39conspiracy theorypolitical affectsuperstitionSpinozatractatus theologico-politicus |
| spellingShingle | Jamie van der Klaauw Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus Philosophies conspiracy theory political affect superstition Spinoza tractatus theologico-politicus |
| title | Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| title_full | Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| title_fullStr | Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| title_short | Conspiracy Theories as Superstition: Today’s Mirror Image in Spinoza’s Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| title_sort | conspiracy theories as superstition today s mirror image in spinoza s tractatus theologico politicus |
| topic | conspiracy theory political affect superstition Spinoza tractatus theologico-politicus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/2/39 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamievanderklaauw conspiracytheoriesassuperstitiontodaysmirrorimageinspinozastractatustheologicopoliticus |