{"title":"Steven Nadler","description":"Steven Nadler is the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include Rembrandt's Jews, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Spinoza: A Life, which won the Koret Jewish Book Award; and The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Story of Philosophers, God, and Evil in the Age of Reason (Princeton).","products":[{"product_id":"a-book-forged-in-hell-spinozas-scandalous-treatise-and-the-birth-of-the-secular-age-paperback","title":"A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza's Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe story of one of the most important--and incendiary--books in Western history\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen it appeared in 1670, Baruch Spinoza's \u003ci\u003eTheological-Political Treatise\u003c\/i\u003e was denounced as the most dangerous book ever published--\"godless,\" \"full of abominations,\" \"a book forged in hell . . . by the devil himself.\" Religious and secular authorities saw it as a threat to faith, social and political harmony, and everyday morality, and its author was almost universally regarded as a religious subversive and political radical who sought to spread atheism throughout Europe. Yet Spinoza's book has contributed as much as the Declaration of Independence or Thomas Paine's \u003ci\u003eCommon Sense\u003c\/i\u003e to modern liberal, secular, and democratic thinking. In \u003ci\u003eA Book Forged in Hell\u003c\/i\u003e, Steven Nadler tells the fascinating story of this extraordinary book: its radical claims and their background in the philosophical, religious, and political tensions of the Dutch Golden Age, as well as the vitriolic reaction these ideas inspired. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt is not hard to see why Spinoza's \u003ci\u003eTreatise\u003c\/i\u003e was so important or so controversial, or why the uproar it caused is one of the most significant events in European intellectual history. In the book, Spinoza became the first to argue that the Bible is not literally the word of God but rather a work of human literature; that true religion has nothing to do with theology, liturgical ceremonies, or sectarian dogma; and that religious authorities should have no role in governing a modern state. He also denied the reality of miracles and divine providence, reinterpreted the nature of prophecy, and made an eloquent plea for toleration and democracy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA vivid story of incendiary ideas and vicious backlash, \u003ci\u003eA Book Forged in Hell\u003c\/i\u003e will interest anyone who is curious about the origin of some of our most cherished modern beliefs.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Steven Nadler's knowledge of the many influences acting on Spinoza is profound. He is as sensitive to Spinoza's reactions to Descartes and Maimonides as to the philosopher's fears of the conservative religious forces that were threatening the Dutch Republic of his day. The wide context that Nadler provides makes for a reading of Spinoza's treatise which is unfailingly rich, nuanced, and illuminating.\"\u003cb\u003e--Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of \u003ci\u003eBetraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"If there is a single theme that runs throughout Spinoza's writings, Steven Nadler says, 'it is the liberation from bondage, whether psychological, political, or religious.' Spinoza's importance as a philosopher--maybe as the philosopher of modernity--hinges on that. This Amsterdam Jew was one of the grandest and boldest mold-breakers of all time. Nadler gives us a clean, crisp, indispensible account of what made Spinoza's Treatise so revolutionary.\"\u003cb\u003e--Russell Shorto, author of \u003ci\u003eDescartes' Bones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eA Book Forged in Hell\u003c\/i\u003e is more than just an excellent and highly readable introduction to one of the most important texts of philosophy and political thought. Steven Nadler provides an eloquent portrait of Spinoza's treatise, placing it firmly in its historical, religious, political, and philosophical setting.\"\u003cb\u003e--Jonathan Israel, author of \u003ci\u003eA Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is an excellent book. Steven Nadler's wonderfully elegant and fluid writing style makes difficult ideas accessible and exciting without watering them down. A prime virtue of the book is that it provides just enough biographical and historical background to make the philosophy come alive and to reveal what a dramatic work Spinoza's treatise is.\"\u003cb\u003e--Michael Della Rocca, Yale University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51366074777823,"sku":"9780691160184","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/tXlEeN3F0P9780691160184.webp?v=1789080765"},{"product_id":"think-least-of-death-spinoza-on-how-to-live-and-how-to-die-paperback","title":"Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom Pulitzer Prize-finalist Steven Nadler, an engaging guide to what Spinoza can teach us about life's big questions\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1656, after being excommunicated from Amsterdam's Portuguese-Jewish community for \"abominable heresies\" and \"monstrous deeds,\" the young Baruch Spinoza abandoned his family's import business to dedicate his life to philosophy. He quickly became notorious across Europe for his views on God, the Bible, and miracles, as well as for his uncompromising defense of free thought. Yet the radicalism of Spinoza's views has long obscured that his primary reason for turning to philosophy was to answer one of humanity's most urgent questions: How can we lead a good life and enjoy happiness in a world without a providential God? In \u003ci\u003eThink Least of Death\u003c\/i\u003e, Pulitzer Prize-finalist Steven Nadler connects Spinoza's ideas with his life and times to offer a compelling account of how the philosopher can provide a guide to living one's best life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the \u003ci\u003eEthics\u003c\/i\u003e, Spinoza presents his vision of the ideal human being, the \"free person\" who, motivated by reason, lives a life of joy devoted to what is most important--improving oneself and others. Untroubled by passions such as hate, greed, and envy, free people treat others with benevolence, justice, and charity. Focusing on the rewards of goodness, they enjoy the pleasures of this world, but in moderation. \"The free person thinks least of all of death,\" Spinoza writes, \"and his wisdom is a meditation not on death but on life.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn unmatched introduction to Spinoza's moral philosophy, \u003ci\u003eThink Least of Death\u003c\/i\u003e shows how his ideas still provide valuable insights about how to live today.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377629102303,"sku":"9780691233956","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/uixmKyiR7t9780691233956.webp?v=1789236232"},{"product_id":"spinoza-paperback-2","title":"Spinoza - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eBaruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was one of the most important philosophers of all time; he was also one of the most radical and controversial. The story of Spinoza's life takes the reader into the heart of Jewish Amsterdam in the seventeenth century and, with Spinoza's exile from Judaism, into the midst of the tumultuous political, social, intellectual, and religious world of the young Dutch Republic. This new edition of Steven Nadler's biography, winner of the Koret Jewish Book Award for biography and translated into a dozen languages, is enhanced by exciting new archival discoveries about his family background, his youth, and the various philosophical, political, and religious contexts of his life and works. There is more detail about his family's business and communal activities, about his relationships with friends and correspondents, and about the development of his writings, which were so scandalous to his contemporaries.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377641128159,"sku":"9781108442466","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/aeBtlDcuou9781108442466.webp?v=1789236264"},{"product_id":"spinoza-atheist-hardcover","title":"Spinoza, Atheist - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom Pulitzer Prize finalist Steven Nadler, a fascinating historical and philosophical narrative that unravels the mystery of whether Spinoza was an atheist\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1656, a young Amsterdam merchant was excommunicated by his Portuguese-Jewish community in the harshest terms it had ever used. Baruch Spinoza was accused of unspecified \"horrifying heresies,\" but the precise reasons for his expulsion remain a mystery. When he published his \u003ci\u003eTheological-Political Treatise \u003c\/i\u003ein 1670, which was condemned as \"the most atheistic book ever written,\" he began to reveal to the world what his heresies may have been. Yet ever since the eighteenth century, most readers and scholars have assumed that Spinoza was a pantheist--even a \"God-intoxicated man,\" as the poet Novalis put it. After all, how could a person whose books are suffused with talk of God be an atheist? In \u003ci\u003eSpinoza, Atheist\u003c\/i\u003e, Steven Nadler, one of the world's leading authorities on the philosopher, aims to settle the question and show that that's exactly what he was. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNadler makes a powerful case that there is no real divinity for Spinoza. God is Nature, and isn't an object of worshipful awe or religious reverence but can only be understood through philosophy and science. There is nothing supernatural--no mystery, ineffability, or sublimity. Spinoza does speak of \"blessedness\" and \"salvation,\" but these, too, are to be understood in natural and rational terms, as the peace of mind and happiness that come from understanding ourselves and the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhether Spinoza believed in God is a fascinating and enduring controversy. \u003ci\u003eSpinoza, Atheist\u003c\/i\u003e promises to transform our understanding of his views and to make clear just how radical a thinker he was and remains.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377750114527,"sku":"9780691285238","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/0aoohERDh39780691285238.webp?v=1789240091"},{"product_id":"why-read-maimonides-today-paperback","title":"Why Read Maimonides Today? - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eMaimonides (Moshe\/Moses ben Maimon, 1138-1204) was not only the dominant rabbinic and Jewish intellectual figure of the later medieval period, but also one of history's greatest philosophers. As the author of the Mishneh Torah (ca. 1180), a compendium and systematization of the Jewish legal code, he remains an unsurpassed (if not uncontroversial) authority on halakha (Jewish law). His philosophical masterpiece, however, is the Guide of the Perplexed (1185-1190), in which he systematically presents his views on theology, metaphysics, cosmology, natural science, epistemology, Scriptural hermeneutics, law and ethics. This accessible and highly readable book introduces the reader to Maimonides' life and thought, and uses a number of enduring and popular philosophical topics - including the problem of evil, freedom of the will, and the relationship between virtue and happiness - to show that he continues to be interesting and relevant to readers today.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377768693983,"sku":"9781009304733","price":21.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/749H0zRe_r9781009304733.webp?v=1789240144"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/steven-nadler.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}