Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 18:01:25 -0800
From: "John T. Duryea" <jtduryea-AT-dmv.com>
Subject: Re: Spinoza background?


Kelly Timothy Lynch wrote:
> 
> John Duryea said:
> Perhaps Spinoza's "inconsistencies" originate in
> his attempt to fuse the world outlook of two
> separate cultures?  Perhaps to fully understand
> Spinoza one must understand his times and the
> cultural influences on his world outlook.  I know
> enough of Spinoza's writings to know that the
> concepts of force and will are alien to him.
> 
> [end quote; editing]
> 
> I would be happy to talk about the 17th
> century as background for Spinoza (perhaps
> also throwing in a glance at his jewishness).
> In fact, I have studied the 17th century a bit;
> it is an interesting period.  But if this means
> simply listening to dogmatic assertions of
> stuff gleaned from Spengler, such as his
> wonderfully neat schema of Classical, Magian,
> Faustian cultures--if I may be frank:  thanks,
> but no thanks.
> 
> It is difficult to know how to respond to
> statements like 'the concepts of force and
> will are alien to Spinoza' thrown out in
> splendid isolation like that.  More explanation
> is needed.  Since, for example, Spinoza
> clearly does talk about _something_ called
> "will" at times, one assumes John means
> he does not have _his_ concept of "will",
> whatever that may be.
> 
>      Kelly Timothy Lynch     ||    "Dei potentia est
>        ktlynch-AT-vex.net       ||  ipsa ipsius essentia."
>    Toronto, Ontario, Canada  ||         Spinoza
> 
>         --- from list nietzsche-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

Let's try again. You asserted that Spinoza was on the right
track with his idea of self-preservation. Prove it. How does
self preservation lead to will to power? I don't think it
does, I think it is a fundamentally different (not better, not
worse, but different) world outlook.

And to think I'm the one who gets all the grief for not
being responsive...!

John T. Duryea


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