Tractatus Theologico-Politicus

E10186

Tractatus Theologico-Politicus is a 17th-century philosophical and political treatise by Baruch Spinoza that defends freedom of thought and expression while offering a critical, rational interpretation of Scripture and religion’s role in the state.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf book
philosophical treatise
political treatise
advocates freedom of religious belief
freedom to philosophize
separation of theology and philosophy
sovereign authority over public religion
argues Scripture teaches only obedience and charity as its core doctrine
miracles are events understood through natural laws
prophecy depends on imagination, not superior intellect
theology and philosophy have distinct domains
author Baruch Spinoza
countryOfOrigin Dutch Republic
criticizes clerical authority in politics
religious superstition
genre biblical criticism
philosophy of religion
political philosophy
historicalReception condemned by religious authorities
considered one of the earliest defenses of liberal democracy
placed on the Index of Forbidden Books
influenced Enlightenment political thought
biblical criticism
modern liberal theory of toleration
philosophy of religion
influencedBy Hobbesian political theory
biblical scholarship of the 17th century
mainTheme freedom of expression
freedom of thought
political authority
rational interpretation of Scripture
relationship between religion and state
toleration
notableConcept Scripture as a historical text
democracy as most natural form of state
natural right as power
originalLanguage Latin
originalTitle Tractatus Theologico-Politicus
philosophicalTradition early Enlightenment thought
rationalism
placeOfPublication Amsterdam
publicationCentury 17th century
publicationYear 1670
publishedAnonymously true
relatedWorkByAuthor Ethics
religiousFocus Christianity
Judaism
structure preface and twenty chapters


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