CFP: Spinoza as Reader, Interpreter, and Critic of Descartes’ Principles of Philosophy

Keynote speakers

Gábor Boros (Károli Gáspár University, Budapest)

Kim Sang Ong-Van-Cung (Université Bordeaux Montaigne)

Sarah Patterson (Birkbeck, University of London)

Andrea Sangiacomo (Erasmus University Rotterdam / University of Groningen)

Stephan Schmid (University of Hamburg)

"Descartes’ Principles of Philosophy, Demonstrated in the Geometric Manner" (1663, henceforth PPC) is the only work Spinoza published under his own name during his lifetime. In it, Spinoza sets out the content of Descartes’ Principles of Philosophy (1644) in geometrical form. Through this meticulous reconstruction, he gained methodological insights that would later shape the composition of his masterpiece, the Ethics. At the same time, he uses his role as commentator and mediator to develop, and to hint at, positions of his own. Written at the urging of his friends, the PPC also offers valuable insight into the early reception of Descartes in the Dutch Republic.

Nevertheless, the PPC remains far less studied than Spinoza's other works. When scholars do turn to it, they tend to focus not on the main body of the text but on the "Metaphysical Thoughts", published as its appendix. This neglect is all the more surprising given that the PPC is widely recognized as a landmark interpretation of Descartes’ philosophy and as indispensable for situating Spinoza within the wider Cartesian context.

The workshop combines keynote lectures with reading sessions. Each reading session is introduced by a 15-minute presentation on a specific section of the PPC and the parallel passages in Descartes’ "Principles". We invite proposals for presentations on the following sections:

• Part I: definitions and axioms; PPC1p1–4

• PPC2p15–p19

• PPC2p20–31

• PPC2p32–37, PPC3

To apply, please send an anonymized abstract of up to 300 words to [email protected] by 15 November 2026. Please include your name, affiliation, and the section you are applying for in the body of the email. The abstract should briefly outline your proposed approach to the section and explain how it relates to your research interests or existing work. Applicants may propose presentations for more than one section. Decisions will be communicated by 1 December 2026.

The workshop language is English. Before the event, the organizers will circulate a reader containing the Latin texts and standard English translations. We hope to offer a small number of travel bursaries, subject to available funding. If you would like to be considered, please say so in your email. We plan to publish a collective commentary based on the workshop. Details will be discussed at the event.

The workshop is generously funded by the European Society for Early Modern Philosophy (https://esemp.hypotheses.org), the German Spinoza Society, and the German Society for Philosophy.

Organizers: Oliver Toth (Heidelberg) and Daniel Bella (Hamburg)