Betraying Spinoza

Rebecca Goldstein talked about her book, Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity, published by Schocken. She described the 17th-century Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza who was excommunicated for heresy at the age of twenty-three. She explored the conflict between his identity as a Jew and his belief in a secular, rationalist philosophy. She argued that his secular attitude was a response to a crisis of Jewish identity that he witnessed among the exiles of the Spanish Inquisition living in his community. After her presentation the author responded to audience members' questions.

This event was presented in partnership with the Hyman S. and Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival at the Jewish Community Center. close