A conversation,
one passage at a time.

Episode 6

What place do pleasure and money have in a good life? Michah and Clare explore Spinoza’s practical advice about pleasure, money and living among others. How can we enjoy life and fit into our communities without losing sight of what matters most? Bringing this first series to a close, they reflect on the personal story Spinoza has told us, what it reveals about his pursuit of joy, and the different starting point that awaits us in the Ethics.

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §17 · Reflections on §§1–17

Episode 5

How can philosophy change the world? Michah and Clare explore Spinoza’s plans for a society that helps more people flourish. Scientific knowledge, education, health and technology all have a part to play, but first we need to heal the intellect. The discussion leads to his first practical rule of living: speak in ways that ordinary people can understand. What does this tell us about how to read Spinoza himself?

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §§14–17

Episode 4

How is the mind united with nature? Michah and Clare explore a turning point in Spinoza’s Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect. Brief experiences of freedom begin to loosen the hold of wealth, honour and pleasure, allowing Spinoza to see these familiar pursuits in a new light. The discussion leads to his account of the highest good: enjoying knowledge of our union with the whole of nature, and sharing that joy with others.

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §§11–13

Episode 3

Love · attachment · putting insight into practice

Love: a source of suffering or a path towards joy? Michah and Clare explore Spinoza’s image of philosophy as a remedy, debate what his account of attachment means for human relationships, and confront the gap between understanding a better life and being able to live it.

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §§7–10

Episode 2

Pleasure · ambition · wealth

What are the costs of conventional success? Michah and Clare examine hedonism, pursuit of wealth, and honor-seeking and the difference between an unreliable good and a lasting good we may not yet know how to attain.

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §§4–6

Episode 1

Joy · fear · a philosophical beginning

What could give us everlasting joy? Michah and Clare begin with Spinoza’s account of turning towards philosophy, exploring fear, the pull of wealth, honour and sense pleasure, and the risk of seeking a different way to live.

Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect · §§1–3