A New Source of Spinozism: Franciscus Van den Enden

A New Source of Spinozism: Franciscus Van den Enden WIM KLEVER 1. INTRODUCTION SPINOZA IS CERTAINLYONE of the most original and anomalous ~ thinkers the world has ever seen. He does not belong to any established school and represents a break with all traditions in philosophy. This does not mean, of course, that he had no sources of inspiration nor that he had nothing in common with his forerunners. Sometimes he himself stresses the newness of his position. In the Korte Verhandeling he reminds his readers of the indubitable fact that a proposition he defends ~will appear "rather scandalous" [niet wynig aanstotelyk] to not a few people (II/XVIII/1). Concerning favor and gratitude he says: "I know, of course, that all men judge these passions to be good. But notwithstanding that, I dare say they can have no place in a perfect man" (KV II/XIII/ 1). Likewise he maintains "against the whole world" (KV II/X/2) that remorse and repentance cannot be beneficial. Similar expressions are found throughout the treatise, which is concluded by Spinoza with the warning to his friends: "Do not be surprised at these novelties [nieuwigheeden], for you know very well that it is no obstacle to the truth of a thing that it is not accepted by many" (KV II/XXVI/1 o). Running through his writings one finds not a few indications of his negative relationship to earlier philosophers. The doctrines of the Platonists and the Aristotelians are dismissed as worthless and even dangerous "specula- ' Cf. A. Negri, L'anomalia selvaggia (Milan, 1981), a generally appreciated work, which is translated into German, French, and English. Namely, "Because man is a part of the whole of Nature, depends on it, and is governed by it, he can do nothing, of himself, toward his salvation and well-being." Translation from The Collected Works of Spinoza, ed. and trans. Edwin Curley (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985). The critical edition of the text of the KV is: Spinoza, Korte Verhandelingvan God, de Mensch en deszelvs Welstand l Breve Trattato. lntroduzione, edizione, traduzione e commento di F. Mignini (L'Aquila:Japadre, 1986). [613] 614 JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 29:4 OCTOBER 1991 tions."a The definitions and distinctions of the Peripatetics are rejected as "fictions" and as a "hodge-podge" OCarrago).4Spinoza only praises those thinkers who have tried to apply the method of explaining things by means of mechanically working causes: Democritus, Epicurus and the recent scientists,5 since he is convinced and believes he has shown "that there is nothing in matter but mechanical constructions and operations" (CM II/VI/1). The Stoics are confused in their ideas6and much too optimistic about human nature. He disagrees with Thomas Aquinas on the question of the argument for God's existence and considers his refusal of the a priori argument "not of much importance" (KV I/I/lo). All the Scholastics, "Logicians" or in general the "Philosophers" (KV I/VII/2 and 9)7 have failed in many respects. Maimonides is heavily attacked on many points discussed in the TTP. On one occasion Spinoza calls his opinion "harmful, useless and absurd" (TTP VII). Spinoza can surely not be said to be a follower of any previously established system in philosophy. Bacon is disparaged as a "storyteller''8 and Boyle is often accused of inconsistency in his statements and conclusions concerning the nature of saltpeter (EP 6 and 13). In political theory Spinoza claims a fundamental difference between himself and Hobbes (EP 50)9 and criticizes some proposals of the otherwise admired Machiavelli (TP X). Descartes, however, is the great exception. Spinoza's attitude towards him is ambivalent in this sense, that he is partly very positive about Descartes's mathematical genius and his first-class philosophical performance, but on the other hand also very critical about quite a number of essential propositions in the Cartesian system. It would not be an exaggeration to consider Spinoza's work as primarily a rational polemic against Descartes, in which the latter's 3 Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (TTP), Preface, in which he refers to "Aristotelicorum vel Platonicorum speculationes" with the phrase "cum Graecis insanire." In Chapter 1 he speaks of...