The Philosophy of Spinoza: Politics, Freedom and Imagination

Fabio Tononi (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

The Philosophy of Spinoza: Politics, Freedom and Imagination 

(1–29 July 2026, 13 classes, 25 hours)

Online Summer Course / Luís Krus Centre – Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences (FCSH), NOVA University of Lisbon.

Deadline: 15 June 2026

Objectives

This course explores the thought of Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), analysing his seminal works. Spinoza was born and lived in the Dutch Republic and had Portuguese-Jewish origins. Spinoza made significant contributions to modern biblical criticism, 17th-century rationalism, and Dutch intellectual culture, establishing himself as one of the most important philosophers of the early modern period. His thought combines elements of ancient Stoicism, medieval Jewish rationalism, and the thought of philosophers such as Moses Maimonides, Thomas Hobbes, and René Descartes in a highly original system.  

He received a traditional Jewish education, learning Hebrew and studying sacred texts within the Portuguese Jewish community. As a young man, Spinoza challenged rabbinic authority and questioned Jewish doctrines, which led to his expulsion from the Jewish community in 1656. Following this expulsion, he distanced himself from all religious affiliations and devoted himself to philosophical research and lens grinding. Spinoza attracted a circle of devoted followers who gathered to discuss his writings.

Spinoza published sparingly during his lifetime to avoid persecution and suppression of his works. In his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, Spinoza questioned the divine origin of the Hebrew Bible and the nature of God, arguing that ecclesiastical authority should have no role in a secular, democratic state. The Ethics advocates a pantheistic view of God and explores the role of human freedom in a world devoid of theological, cosmological, and political anchors. Spinoza’s philosophy spans nearly every area of philosophical discourse, including metaphysics, epistemology, political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of science.

Within this framework, students will develop appropriate critical and analytical skills through reading and discussing philosophical texts on topics related to freedom, God, imagination, politics, prophecy, and theology. Furthermore, students will learn to navigate philosophical thinking by addressing fundamental questions, including: What is freedom? What is God? How can we conceive of a political order? What is the role of imagination in religion? This course addresses these and other questions by focusing on the works of one of the foremost philosophers of the early modern period.

Read more about the Summer course here: https://www.fcsh.unl.pt/outros-cursos/the-philosophy-of-spinoza-politics-freedom-and-imagination/

The course will be entirely in English and is intended for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students. It is also open to everyone interested in the intellectual biography of Spinoza

Teacher: Dr. Fabio Tononi

For further questions, contact [email protected]