Notes on Spinoza, TTP, chapter 16

1
Notes on Spinoza, TTP, chapter 16
2
Outline of Chapter 16

• Spinoza has three main objectives in this
  chapter
• To determine the natural right of individuals
• To demonstrate the basis and right of the state
  (imperium)
• To determine the civil right of citizens

3
Natural Right

• Spinoza begins with an ontological claim
  Since it is the supreme law of Nature that
  each thing endeavours to persist in its present
  being, as far as in it lies, taking account of no
  other thing but itself, it follows that each
  individual has the sovereign right to do this,
  that is . . . to exist and to act as it is
  naturally determined (pp. 173-74).
• Therefore, the natural right of every human being
  is determined not by sound reason, but by his
  or her desire and his or her power (p. 174)
• Since human beings naturally seek covenants for
  mutual advantage,
• It follows that the validity of every covenant
  depends on its utility, without which the
  agreement automatically becomes null and void
  (p. 176).

4
The Basis and Right of the State

• Individual transfers of right form a communitys
  collective and sovereign right as a democracy,
  which Spinoza characterizes as the most natural
  form of state, approaching most closely to that
  freedom which nature grants to every man (p.
  179)
• Concern about danger to individual freedom in a
  democracy is offset by Spinozas contention that
  it is exceedingly rare for governments to issue
  quite unreasonable commands in their own
  interest and to retain their rule, it especially
  behooves them to look to the public good and to
  conduct all affairs under the guidance of reason.
  For, as Seneca says, violenta imperia nemo
  continuit diu--tyrannical governments never last
  long. There is the further fact that in a
  democracy there is less danger of a government
  behaving unreasonably, for it is practically
  impossible for the majority of a single assembly,
  if it of some sze, to agree on the same piece of
  folly (pp. 177-78)

5
Civil Right

• Spinoza defines a citizens civil right as the
  freedom of every man to preserve himself in his
  present condition, a freedom determined by the
  edicts of the sovereign power and upheld by its
  authority alone (p. 179).
• He proceeds to discuss violations of civil right,
  the distinction between justice and injustice,
  allies and enemies, and the nature of treason

6
An Objection

• Spinoza concludes chapter 16 by examining an
  objection to his argument it contradicts the
  divine law as revealed (p. 181).