Andrey Maidansky,Andrey Maidansky,

Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Fellow, 2012Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Fellow, 2012

Soviet SpinozaSoviet Spinoza

Faith searching for understanding

1. Baruch the Baptist

2. Fatalism or hymn to freedom?

3. Animal sociale: the clash of affects

4. Whom are you with, Spinoza?

Spinoza’s substance isSpinoza’s substance is“the metaphysically disguised “the metaphysically disguised

nature nature as as separatedseparated from man” from man” ((Die helige Familie, 1845Die helige Familie, 1845))..

Georgy Georgy PlekhanovPlekhanov —— So So in your opinion old Spinoza was right in saying in your opinion old Spinoza was right in saying that thought and extension were nothing but two that thought and extension were nothing but two attributes of one and the same substanceattributes of one and the same substance? ? —— “ “Of course”, answered Engels, “Of course”, answered Engels, “old Spinoza was old Spinoza was quite rightquite right.”.”

Karl MarxKarl Marx

““The modern materialism is nothing otherThe modern materialism is nothing other than more or less self-aware Spinozism.” than more or less self-aware Spinozism.”

““The materialism of Marx and Engels was a kind of Spinozism.”The materialism of Marx and Engels was a kind of Spinozism.”

“Mechanists” vs. “Dialecticians” (the 1920s)

If Plekhanov offered to If Plekhanov offered to reviserevise Spinoza in the materialistic spirit,Spinoza in the materialistic spirit,

thenthenAbramAbram DeborinDeborin tried to prove tried to prove

that Spinoza that Spinoza actuallyactually was a materialist, was a materialist, disguised himself in the “theological clothes”.disguised himself in the “theological clothes”.

Lubov’ AkselrodLubov’ Akselrod:: SSpinoza transferred his religious feeling onto the pinoza transferred his religious feeling onto the world order. “What an absurdity it is to assert that, in Spinoza, world order. “What an absurdity it is to assert that, in Spinoza, Substance is matter”.Substance is matter”.

““Spinoza’s teaching, in its basic principles, appears to be a Spinoza’s teaching, in its basic principles, appears to be a motionless and irreparable parallelism”motionless and irreparable parallelism”..

Marxism is “a Neo Spinozism of the XX century”‑Marxism is “a Neo Spinozism of the XX century”‑(Ivan Luppol).(Ivan Luppol).

Vasily Sokolov vs. Evald Ilyenkov(since the 1950s)

Spinoza is “a convinced materialist with Spinoza is “a convinced materialist with a most strong aspiration for dialectics”.a most strong aspiration for dialectics”.

““Thought is only a property, Thought is only a property, a predicate, an attribute of body.” a predicate, an attribute of body.”

Res cogitans (thinkingRes cogitans (thinking thing thing)) == “thinking “thinking bodybody”.”.

Spinoza was “unable to advance theSpinoza was “unable to advance theconsistently materialistical point ofconsistently materialistical point ofview on Nature”.view on Nature”.

““Pantheistic formPantheistic form of Spinoza’s materialism” of Spinoza’s materialism” is an effect of “insufficient maturityis an effect of “insufficient maturityof the bourgeois ideology”of the bourgeois ideology”..

Spinoza’s concept of freedom Spinoza’s concept of freedom is fictitious, nothing more than is fictitious, nothing more than

verbal disguise of fatalismverbal disguise of fatalism((Russian Neo-KantiansRussian Neo-Kantians: :

Alexandr Vvedensky, Lev LopatinAlexandr Vvedensky, Lev Lopatin et al.)et al.)

““Mechanists”Mechanists”: Spinoza’s fatalism resulted : Spinoza’s fatalism resulted from his religious feeling, not from his from his religious feeling, not from his

determinism.determinism.

FATALISM

Valentin AsmusValentin Asmus: “: “Spinoza himself Spinoza himself decidedly rejected all fatalistic decidedly rejected all fatalistic interpretations of his doctrineinterpretations of his doctrine””..

““This teaching is imbued not with This teaching is imbued not with metaphysical abstractness, but with the metaphysical abstractness, but with the leaving breath of practice and activityleaving breath of practice and activity”.”.

To be free means To be free means to act reasonably (ex ratione agere)to act reasonably (ex ratione agere), i.e. , i.e. “to do those things which follow from the necessity of our “to do those things which follow from the necessity of our nature, considered in itself alonenature, considered in itself alone..””

((Ethica IVEthica IV, propositio 59, demonstratio), propositio 59, demonstratio)

FREEDOM

Spinozism is the philosophy of Action, from head to toe.Spinozism is the philosophy of Action, from head to toe.

In Spinoza, freedom is “the highest activity of In Spinoza, freedom is “the highest activity of man, absolutely independent of any external man, absolutely independent of any external forces and stimuli.”forces and stimuli.”

Valentin AsmusValentin Asmus: “: “The dialectics of necessity The dialectics of necessity and freedom is the most important keyand freedom is the most important key for for understandingunderstanding SpinozismSpinozism.”.”

““The more active is man, the more external The more active is man, the more external counteracting things are involved in his counteracting things are involved in his

activity, subjecting him to reciprocal activity, subjecting him to reciprocal effects of them, – the higher is degree effects of them, – the higher is degree

of his freedom.of his freedom. ” (” (Evald IlyenkovEvald Ilyenkov). ). FFreedom is acting in accordance reedom is acting in accordance

withwith the universal the universal laws of Nature.laws of Nature.

Lev VygotskyLev Vygotsky: : ““We cannot help but note that We cannot help but note that we have come to the same understanding of we have come to the same understanding of freedom and dominance over self as Spinoza freedom and dominance over self as Spinoza

developed in his Ethicsdeveloped in his Ethics.”.”

Cultural Historical School in psychology

Using the human, cultural means to regulate Using the human, cultural means to regulate its own behaviour, man makes it free. The its own behaviour, man makes it free. The degree of our freedom is characterised by the degree of our freedom is characterised by the power and extent of the internal, immanent power and extent of the internal, immanent determination of human activity. determination of human activity.

““To revive Spinozism in Marxist psychology” (L.S. Vygotsky).To revive Spinozism in Marxist psychology” (L.S. Vygotsky).

is a clash of active affects and passions, is a clash of active affects and passions, confrontation of forces of solidarity and hostility.confrontation of forces of solidarity and hostility.

Empedokles: Cosmos is moved by Love and StrifeEmpedokles: Cosmos is moved by Love and Strife

Political life

Tractatus politicusTractatus politicus: “Insofar as they are assailed by anger, : “Insofar as they are assailed by anger, envy, or any affects of hatred, people are, by nature, enemies.”envy, or any affects of hatred, people are, by nature, enemies.”

EthicaEthica: “All should so agree in all things that : “All should so agree in all things that the Minds and Bodies of all would compose, the Minds and Bodies of all would compose,

as it were, one Mind and one Body.”as it were, one Mind and one Body.”

Isaak RazumovskyIsaak Razumovsky::““Let us translate the ideas of Spinoza into the language of historical materialism. Let us translate the ideas of Spinoza into the language of historical materialism. And we get the elements of the teaching about adaptation of the social man to And we get the elements of the teaching about adaptation of the social man to external environment and to work tools; the elements of theory about thingish external environment and to work tools; the elements of theory about thingish and commodity fetishism; finally, the elements of the realistic teaching of Marxand commodity fetishism; finally, the elements of the realistic teaching of Marx about the tasks which emerge and is posed only when the material conditions of about the tasks which emerge and is posed only when the material conditions of their implementation become maturetheir implementation become mature ””. .

Lubov’ AkselrodLubov’ Akselrod:: ““Spinoza builds all his state legislation proceeding Spinoza builds all his state legislation proceeding

from the material interests... If to translate it into the from the material interests... If to translate it into the Marxist language, it means that legal awareness of the Marxist language, it means that legal awareness of the

individual is determined by economic being .individual is determined by economic being .””

Spinoza as “Marx without a beard”

Spinoza vs. Marx

Spinoza looks at society mainly through the eyes of a Spinoza looks at society mainly through the eyes of a psychologistpsychologist, and Marx through the eyes of an , and Marx through the eyes of an economist.economist.

Social life, for Spinoza, is a struggle of affects, Social life, for Spinoza, is a struggle of affects, while for Marx, it is a struggle between classes, while for Marx, it is a struggle between classes, or material interests.or material interests.

Spinoza completely abstracts from class distinctions.Spinoza completely abstracts from class distinctions.He analyses two oppositions: rulers vs. people, and He analyses two oppositions: rulers vs. people, and crowd vs. philosophers.crowd vs. philosophers.

In Spinoza there is no cornerstone of the materialist In Spinoza there is no cornerstone of the materialist understanding of history, the concept of labour.understanding of history, the concept of labour.And the very concept of history is not fully crystallised.And the very concept of history is not fully crystallised.

Achilles heel of Spinozism is an “abstract man, Achilles heel of Spinozism is an “abstract man, considered outside the historical process” (Valentin Asmus). considered outside the historical process” (Valentin Asmus).

Qui bono?

““Mechanists” Mechanists” && “Dialecticians” “Dialecticians”: : Spinoza expressed the class interests Spinoza expressed the class interests

of the bourgeoisie.of the bourgeoisie.

Anatoly LunacharskyAnatoly Lunacharsky: Materialism and rationalism: Materialism and rationalism are are two “main principles of the bourgeois world”, having two “main principles of the bourgeois world”, having founded the brilliant embodiment in Spinoza’s system.founded the brilliant embodiment in Spinoza’s system.

But the bourgeoisie dared not drive these principles to But the bourgeoisie dared not drive these principles to their logical conclusion. Spinoza remained in solitude – he their logical conclusion. Spinoza remained in solitude – he “appeared to be practically an outcast of his class”. “appeared to be practically an outcast of his class”. Proletariat was, thus, destined to master and develop the Proletariat was, thus, destined to master and develop the revolutionary ideas of Spinoza.revolutionary ideas of Spinoza.

Spinoza as Spinoza as a weapon of the proletariata weapon of the proletariat

Vasily SokolovVasily Sokolov: D: Denying the enying the Calvinist “morality of accumulation”,Calvinist “morality of accumulation”, Spinoza evolves the “passively Spinoza evolves the “passively moralising critique of contemporary moralising critique of contemporary bourgeois society”. bourgeois society”.

Evald IlyenkovEvald Ilyenkov: “: “EthicsEthics”” isis a code a codeof moral axiomatics of working class, of moral axiomatics of working class, and in no way of the class of dealers, and in no way of the class of dealers, hucksters and bankers. Hence its hucksters and bankers. Hence its sincere democratic character.sincere democratic character.””

The modernity of Spinoza

““As a philosopher, Spinoza is our contemporary. And not As a philosopher, Spinoza is our contemporary. And not because we have lagged behind by 300 years, but because because we have lagged behind by 300 years, but because

he was 300 years ahead of his timehe was 300 years ahead of his time” (” (Evald IlyenkovEvald Ilyenkov).).