Benedictus Spinoza Part 3 ; Radical Enlightenment

Spinoza’s conflicts with contemporary scientists like Boyle and Huygens center on Spinoza’s insistence on the primacy of philosophical reason over empirical experimentation and empirical reasoning.  Spinoza’s argument against Boyle’s experiments are presented.

Jonathon Israel highlights the influence of Spinoza by showing that much of the Boyle’s later work, on reconciling science with religion, is a reaction to Spinoza.  And Harald makes the argument that the mutual toleration of science and religion in Britain specifically, and the extension of the idea of flexibility out of the realm of technology and the economy and into philosophy may be a serious contender for a cause of the miracle. 

Then we cover Spinoza’s unusual view of virtue and his politics through section 4 of Ethics and the Tracticus Politicus.  Harald paints this as the origin story for totalitarianism and mass murder in the 20th century style.