Spinoza, the Troublemaker
Three Biographical Anecdotes 1. The Excommunication At the age of 24, Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was excommunicated from the Jewish community of the Netherlands and was accused of being a “menace to all piety and morals.” He was kicked out because of his unorthodox views, defending a naturalistic understanding of god and the history of religions. 2. Justice Over Inheritance When his father Michael died in 1654, his sister tried to block his inheritance because she thought he wouldn’t be entitled to it due to his ex-communication. ...