Jonathan Israel: "Spinoza on Equality and Justice"

• Date: 05 October 17:00 - 22:30
• Location: Nieuwe Kerk 

World-renowned historian and Enlightenment scholar Jonathan Israel will deliver the Spinoza Lecture 2023 on Thursday, October 5th. The title of his lecture is 'Spinoza on Equality and Justice.' He will also present his new book, 'Spinoza, Life and Legacy.

Jonathan Israel (London, 1946) studied history and earned his doctorate from the University of Cambridge. In 2001, he was appointed Professor of Modern European History at the School of Historical Studies, affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Jonathan Israel is a leading historian globally on the history of the Enlightenment. He attributes the source of the Radical Enlightenment to Spinoza's work.

Spinoza on Equality and Justice

Spinoza expressed progressive views on politics and society, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as on human interactions and individual rights. Tolerance, respect, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, equal treatment, and justice are key concepts in his work. However, his ideas are not always entirely straightforward. There has been some disagreement among Spinoza experts regarding his attitude towards the common people or the multitude. Jonathan Israel will demonstrate that equality is indeed a central principle in Spinoza's political and social thought, and that Spinoza can be seen as an architect of modern equality and justice. As such, Spinoza symbolizes The Hague as the International City of Peace and Justice.

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