Spinoza's Critique of Religion

364 Pages·1982·19.8 MB·English

by  Leo Strauss

SPINOZA'S
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QRITIQUE QF
RELIGION
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LEO STRAUSS
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f!ofe ssor ef f olitical ,$.cience
The University of Chicago
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SCHOCKEN BOOKS · NEW YORK
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First published by Schocken Books 1982
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 82 83 84 85
Translated by E. M. Sinclair
The main body of this book was published as
Die Religionskritik Spinozas als Grundlage seiner Bibelwissenscheft
Untersuchungen zu Spinozas Theologisch-Politischem Traktat
Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1930
Copyright © Ig65 by Schocken Books Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-Io948
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ISBN 0-8052-0704-X
To the memory of
FRANZ ROSENZWEIG

CONTENTS
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION I
PART ONE
THE TRADITION OF THE
CRITIQUE OF RELIGION
INTRODUCTION 35
I. THE TRADITION OF THE CRITIQ.UE OF RELIGION 37
II. URIEL DA COSTA
m. ISAAC DE LA PEYRERE
IV. THOMAS HOBBES
A. The Spirit of Physics (Technology) and Religion
B. The Spirit of Commo1U1Jealtk (Moraliry) and Religion
C. The Theoretical Critique and Hobbes' Attitude to Religion
D. The Critique of the Bible
PART TWO
SPINOZA'S CRITIQUE OF RELIGION
INTRODUCTION 107
V. THE CRITIQ.UE OF ORTHODOXY II I
A. The Critique on the Basis of Scripture
B. The Critique on the Basis of Reason (Critique of Scripture)
I. The Critique of Miracles
2. The Critique of the Teachings of Scripture
3. The Philological-Historical Critique
C. The Premises and the Limitation of the Critique of Orthodoxy
SPINOZA'S CRITIQ.UE OF RELIGION
VI. THE CRITIQ.UE OF MAIMONIDES
A. The Divergences between Spinoza and Maimonides
I. According to Spinoza's Own View
2. As Contrast regarding the Central Theological Assumption
3. As Contrast regarding the Conception of Man
4. As Contrast regarding the Attitude towards Jewish Life
B. Spinoza's Critique
The Critique on the Basis of Maimonides: Science
I.
2. The Critique on the Basis of Modern Metaphysics
a. The Concept of Prejudice and Modern Metaphysics
b. The Critique of Prophecy
c. The Critique of Miracles
3. The Limitation of this Critique
VII. THE CR:ITIQ.UE OF CALVIN I93
A. Calvin's Position as Immune to Spinoza's Critique
B. The Illusion of the Critique
C. Systematic Critique of Religion (in principle possible, and
proving in fact impossible)
D. The Motive of the Critique
E. The Justification and Precondition of Positive Critique
VIII. THE ANALYSIS OF REVEALED RELIGION
IX. THE STATE AND THE SOCIAL FUNCTION OF
RELIGION 224
A. The "Realism" of Spinoza's Political DoctriM
B. The Theory of Natural Right and the Critique of Theocracy
C. Natural Right and Rational Right
D. The Concrete Presupposition for the Critique of Theocracy
E. Vulgus and Nation, Superstition and R.eligion
CONTENTS
X. SPINOZA'S CONCEPTION OF THE BIBLE AND
BIBLE SCIENCE 251
A. Spinoza's Indifference to Scripture, and His Historical
Consciousness
B. Interest in Scripture and the Idea of Bible Science as
Positive Science
C. Critique of Religion and Bible Science
D. Philological and Historical Critique
NOTES 271
APPENDIX
COMMENTS ON CARL SCHMITT'S DER BEGRIFF DES
l'OLITISCHEN 331

PREFACE TO THE
ENGLISH TRANSLATION