The Collected Works of Spinoza, Volume II

<p><b>The second and final volume of the most authoritative English-language edition of Spinoza's writings</b><br><br><i>The Collected Works of Spinoza</i> provides, for the first time in English, a truly satisfactory edition of all of Spinoza's writings, with accurate and readable translations, based on the best critical editions of the original-language texts, done by a scholar who has published extensively on the philosopher's work.<br><br>The centerpiece of this second volume is Spinoza’s <i>Theological-Political Treatise</i>, a landmark work in the history of biblical scholarship, the first argument for democracy by a major philosopher, and a forceful defense of freedom of thought and expression. This work is accompanied by Spinoza’s later correspondence, much of which responds to criticism of the <i>Theological-Political Treatise</i>. The volume also includes his last work, the unfinished <i>Political Treatise</i>, which builds on the foundations of the <i>Theological-Political Treatise</i> to offer plans for the organization of nontyrannical monarchies and aristocracies.<br><br>The elaborate editorial apparatus—including prefaces, notes, glossary, and indexes—assists the reader in understanding one of the world’s most fascinating, but also most difficult, philosophers. Of particular interest is the glossary-index, which provides extensive commentary on Spinoza’s technical vocabulary.<br><br>A milestone of scholarship more than forty-five years in the making, <i>The Collected Works of Spinoza</i> is an essential edition for anyone with a serious interest in Spinoza or the history of philosophy.</p>