Is Spinoza Good for the Jews? - Michael Rosenthal

Baruch Spinoza's name is a lightning rod: some view him as an exemplary Jew, others as the ultimate heretic. For University of Washington philosophy professor Michael Rosenthal, navigating the debates about Spinoza's legacy led him to explore his own Jewish identity. Rosenthal's talk focuses on two issues in particular: belief in God, and connection to Israel.
Michael A. Rosenthal is Professor and the Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington, as well as faculty for the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. He teaches and publishes in the areas of early modern philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, and Jewish philosophy, particularly Spinoza, about whom he has several forthcoming articles. Prof. Rosenthal received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He recently co-edited two volumes, Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise: A Critical Guide (2013) and Inventions of the Imagination: Romanticism and Beyond (2011).
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[@pls5201]

The elders of his day tried to destroy Spinoza. They rejected him with a hatred so profound that they crossed out his name in their book of members and cursed him in writing. He stepped out of the community and never looked back. He was intellectually free. He Christianized his first name, lived like a Catholic monk and never joined any group, religious, political or academic, after that. Amazing that so many generations later the intellectual community within Judaism still does not know what to do with him. Many rabbis would vehemently disagree with the good professor. Yet, Spinoza remains a bright light to the whole world. Every philosopher and every truly independent thinker owes him a debt. Even now, may he RIP.

[@usmansheikh7717]

Thank You, Professor Rosenthal. I enjoyed your talk on Spinoza. Getting ready to read Spinoza's Magnum Opas "Ethics." I know I will find inspiration in his works.

[@josephfortner1996]

Great speech