Ian Buruma explores the life and death of Baruch Spinoza, the Enlightenment thinker whose belief in freedom of thought and speech resonates in our own time A New Yorker ?Best Book of 2024? Selection ?An elegant, relevant biography of a vital thinker.??Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Baruch (Benedictus) Spinoza (1632?1677) was a radical free thinker who led a life guided by strong moral principles despite his disbelief in an all-seeing God. Seen by many?Christians as well as Jews?as Satan?s disciple during his lifetime, Spinoza has been regarded as a secular saint since his death. Many contradictory beliefs have been attached to his name: rationalism or metaphysics, atheism or pantheism, liberalism or despotism, Jewishness or anti-Semitism. However, there is no question that he viewed freedom of thought and speech as essential to an open and free society. ...
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