• Spinoza was the father of the Enlightenment, and developed highly influential philosophical theories
• Roger Scruton shows the relevence of Spinoza's thought to today's intellectual preoccupations
• The only short introduction aimed at non-specialists, written by a specialist, that is accessible and not overwhelming
• Illustrated, with updated bibliography

  
Benedict de Spinoza (1632-77) was at once the father of the Enlightenment and the last sad guardian of the medieval world. In his brilliant synthesis of geometrical method, religious sentiment, and secular science, he attempted to reconcile the conflicting moral and intellectual demands of his epoch, and to present a vision of humanity as simultaneously bound by necessity and eternally free. In this book Roger Scruton presents a clear and systematic analysis of Spinoza's thought, and shows its relevance to today's intellectual preoccupations.