Was Spinoza an Atheist? Steven Nadler on the Philosopher Who Defined Free Thought

"If there's a theme that unites all of Spinoza's philosophical writings, it's freedom: both personal freedom, how we become liberated from irrational passions, and political and social freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and freedom of association." — Steven Nadler

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!⁠

Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated by his own community, condemned across Europe, and called the most dangerous philosopher of his age. Centuries later, scholars still argue over what he actually believed. In this episode, James Hodgson speaks with Steven Nadler, one of the world's foremost authorities on Spinoza, about the man, his radical ideas, and the case that Spinoza was, in the modern sense, a genuine atheist.

We explore what "atheist" even meant in the 17th century, why "God or nature" is not the same as pantheism, how Spinoza's defence of democracy and free expression anticipated modern liberal values, and why Einstein said his God was Spinoza's God.

About the guest

Steven Nadler is a Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and one of the world's leading authorities on Spinoza. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, his books include Spinoza: A Life and A Book Forged in Hell. His latest is Spinoza, Atheist.

In this episode

Who Spinoza was, his 1656 excommunication, and why his works were branded "soul-destroying" and "forged by the devil"

What "atheist" meant in the 17th century, and how it differs from Spinoza's atheism in the modern sense

Why "God or nature" (Deus sive natura) marks the line between the pantheist and the atheist

Spinoza's timeless case for democracy, freedom of belief, and separating church from state

Chapters