EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, vol.36, no.4, pp.544-552, 2013 (Scopus)
Spinoza is an ideologist who dealt with the political philosophy differently than other early
modern philosophers of his age. First of all, Spinoza rejected the state theories dismissing
God and he revisited the position of God when explaining the “state of nature”. In addition
to that Spinoza introduced the notion of “agreement” replacing the modern view of
“contract” to explain the legality of state and its relationship with the society. His distinct
ideas on these two subjects separated him from the other philosopher of his age as well as
his successors. Spinoza’s views on “freedom” within this context are remarkable because
they were a criticism adressed to the foundations of political philosophy of the era and at
the same time consistent and helding the issue as a matter of “preference”.