Ethics and Other Writings

The definitive edition of Spinoza’s masterworkThis volume presents Spinoza’s Ethics in the acclaimed translation by Edwin Curley, one of the world’s leading Spinoza experts, along with selections from the philosopher’s letters and other writings that illuminate his masterpiece. The Ethics aims to rigorously demonstrate Spinoza’s central ideas about the existence and nature of God, the human mind and its passions, our bondage to those passions, and the possibility of controlling them through reason. The selections from Spinoza’s other writings show him informally working out and explaining these ideas, and Curley’s substantial introduction sets the great work in the context of Spinoza’s life and philosophy. The definitive edition of the Ethics, this volume is essential for understanding one of the most important books in the history of philosophy. Praise for Edwin Curley’s Spinoza:“An extraordinarily important and beautifully rendered translation. . . . Curley’s edition of Spinoza’s writings will, and should, remain the standard text of Spinoza in English for generations to come.”—Steven Nadler, author of Spinoza: A Life