The Authority of Power in Spinoza’s Tractatus Politicus
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Vol 32 No 2 (2013), Studies
Submitted: 09-10-2013
Abstract
In order to clarify the relationship between knowledge and power in Spinoza’s Tractatus
Politicus, we need to observe that the instance of knowledge independent of politic power
disappears with the progressive dissolution of potestas and increases the instances of rational
discussion. The instance of rational knowledge is necessary in the monarchy, as opposite
to singular potestas (who easily is wrong), but it seems that it is diluted and shares when
the potestas returns to the multitude across the aristocratic government. The unfinished
Tractatus Politicus cannot show us the logic of the dissolution of reason’s authority in the
democratic regime, the absolute potestas.
Politicus, we need to observe that the instance of knowledge independent of politic power
disappears with the progressive dissolution of potestas and increases the instances of rational
discussion. The instance of rational knowledge is necessary in the monarchy, as opposite
to singular potestas (who easily is wrong), but it seems that it is diluted and shares when
the potestas returns to the multitude across the aristocratic government. The unfinished
Tractatus Politicus cannot show us the logic of the dissolution of reason’s authority in the
democratic regime, the absolute potestas.
Keywords:
Spinoza, knowledge, power, authority, forms of government
Cited by
