Spinoza’s view of freedom of thought and speech (libertas philosophandi) in a democratic society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56550/d.3.2.5Keywords:
freedom of philosophizing, restriction of speech, desire for preservation (conatus), human nature, affects, reason, judgment, societyAbstract
Spinoza’s notion of freedom of philosophizing emerges from his arguments for achieving safety and freedom of society as the state’s main aim. Freedom, as explained in his Ethics, is a paradoxical concept since on the one side, it implicates the necessity and natural lawfulness of human’s desire for preservation (conatus), but on the other side, it is regarded in a higher sense as a moral and cultural endeavor. The notion of freedom of thought and speech in Theological-Political Treatise should be considered with psychological features of human nature, like a desire for others to approve of the things they think/do/express (EIIIP29). The state’s role in achieving the security of society, according to Spinoza, has to be delicately connected to the freedom of philosophizing which presupposes a harmonious community of individuals who practice tolerance and use judgment wisely while restraining negative affects like hatred, anger, envy, etc. Currently, there are potential constraints of speech in academic circles, it is of utmost importance to understand what freedom of philosophizing could mean. Spinoza’s political philosophy could give us a thorough explanation and wise suggestions for the regulation of speech in the public sphere.
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