SPINOZA AS ANTI-HOBBES

Abstract

This paper traces several lines by which Spinoza emerges primarily as an anti-Hobbes, in the theoretical-political sense. Crucial lines which proves so are: level of the immanence and transcendence, level of the relationship between affect of fear and freedom, level of relation between individuality and collectivity and, in particular, level which relates concepts of the people and multitude. While Hobbes’s thought demonstrates itself as crucial for ideas of individualism and liberal traditions, Spinoza emerges as a thinker of the collectivity, of multitude, and thus as inspiration for materialistic readings.