Brayton Polka delves into Spinoza's three major works, exploring their intersection of biblical thought and modern philosophy. By analyzing religion, politics, and ethics, the volumes reveal the complexity of Spinoza's ideas, making them essential for scholars interested in his contributions to philosophical discourse.
Spinoza, the Bible, and Modernity
Brayton Polka explores Spinoza's three significant works on religion, politics, and ethics, highlighting the interplay between biblical themes and modern philosophical thought. This in-depth analysis presents Spinoza's ideas as both historically rooted and contemporary, making it a crucial resource for scholars interested in his philosophy. The two volumes together offer a comprehensive understanding of Spinoza's contributions to these fields.
Exploring the intersection of Shakespeare's plays and philosophical thought, Brayton Polka analyzes seven works, including Macbeth and Hamlet, through a lens that incorporates biblical principles and the ideas of Kierkegaard and Spinoza. He posits that the essence of interpretation, reflected in the biblical command to love one's neighbor, shapes both the characters' lives and our own modern experiences. The concept of "What you will" emphasizes that true interpretation arises from willing what others will, highlighting the importance of loving relationships in understanding life.
The book explores the philosophical ideas of Kant, Hegel, and Kierkegaard, asserting their biblical origins both ontologically and historically. It critiques Schopenhauer's interpretation of these fundamental concepts, claiming that his understanding of the Bible and Christianity is flawed, leading to inherent contradictions in his philosophy. Through this analysis, the author aims to highlight the deeper connections between these philosophers and biblical thought.
The Two Ways of the World
The book explores the contrasting worldviews of paradox and contradiction, representing biblical and pagan perspectives, respectively. It argues that paradox, central to the lives of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, encompasses the concepts of creation and covenant. In contrast, the author highlights that paganism is defined by the absence of these ideas, illustrating a fundamental divide in understanding life and existence. Through this lens, the author delves into the implications of these differing philosophies on human experience and belief systems.
Exploring the intersection of poetry and philosophy, this study highlights the revolutionary contributions of Wordsworth and Kant to modern thought. It emphasizes their shared foundation in religious values, particularly the idea of human equality before God. The book delves into how both figures employed metaphorical and critical principles in their work, offering a unique perspective on their influence in shaping romantic poetry and critical philosophy.
Modernity between Wagner and Nietzsche argues that the operas and writings of Wagner contradict the values that are fundamental to modernity. Analyzing Wagner's works in contrast to the philosophical thought of Nietzsche, Brayton Polka examines how Wagner breaks with Nietzsche and their common influencer, Schopenhauer.
Philosophy, when understood to embody the values that are fundamental to modernity, is biblical in origin, both historically and ontologically. Central to this idea is the question famously posed by Tertullian: What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? The answer - as based on a comprehensive and systematic discussion of the key texts and ideas of Spinoza, Vico, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche - is that we can overcome the conventional opposition between reason and faith, between philosophy and theology, and between the secular and the religious only if we learn to see that, as Spinoza shows us, both philosophy (reason) and theology (faith) are based on caritas: love - on the divine command to do unto others what you want others to do unto you. Provided throughout is a commentary on how fundamentally different philosophy is in the Greek and in the biblical traditions (in Athens and in Jerusalem). Whereas Socrates argues that (human) desire and the (divine) good are contradictory opposites, Spinoza shows that it is human desire that truly constitutes the divine good of all. This book would be indispensable to courses (both undergraduate and graduate) in philosophy, religious studies, and the history of ideas - in interdisciplinary courses in the humanities, generally - that focus on the values that are central, both historically and ontologically, to modernity.