Episode 166: Spinoza on Politics and Religion (Part One)

On Benedict de Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (1670), ch. 12-20 and the Tractatus Politicus (1677).

What's the relationship between ethics and political power? Given that religious factions tend to create strife, what's the optimal role of the government in mitigating that damage? Is theocracy in any way a good idea?

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