商品詳細

"Spinoza and Political Critique" presents a balanced assessment of the philosophy and political thought of Baruch de Spinoza. It explores the influence of Spinoza upon Louis Althusser and some of his contemporaries, and argues that many of Spinoza's ideas find radical expression in Althusserian and post - Althusserian political philosophy. Williams introduces Spinoza's thought in the context of his own time and establishes the key concepts in his work that have a bearing upon subsequent discussions. In particular, she considers Spinoza's depiction of a complex, layered materialism, the account of the affective ambivalence at the heart of the social bond, the critique of religious servitude and the political vision of an active democracy, and shows how these are brought into play and developed within Althusserian political philosophy. Topics covered include ideology and political critique, subjectivity and agency, democracy and exclusion, freedom and power.