The Ingenium of a People, Common Language and Imagination in the Philosophical-Political Thought of Baruch Spinoza

Authors: Ayala Román AM*

DOI: 10.23880/phij-16000171

Volume 4, Issue 2

Abstract

This article reviews some central philosophical theses on the philosophical-political thought of Baruch Spinoza in relation to language, imagination and the ingenium of a collectivity, in order to establish how common imaginary makes possible the existence of a political community. We will focus on Spinozist considerations on prophecy, the prophet and the Holy Scriptures to analyze the political and moral purpose of the Holy Scriptures, and the role of the prophet in the communal configuration of the Hebrew people. Finally, we propose, following Spinozist thought and other theorists on sociability, a way of understanding the constitution of communal bodies (or community).

Keywords: Ingenium; Language; Imagination; Community; Affective Theory; Spinoza

View PDF