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The University of Chicago on the Intellectual Love of God in Spinoza a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Divinity Sc

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The University of Chicago on the Intellectual Love of God in Spinoza a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Divinity Sc THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ON THE INTELLECTUAL LOVE OF GOD IN SPINOZA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVINITY SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY ERIK DREFF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2017 To: My wife, Ashley, and newborn son, Harvey. You make the truth of Spinoza’s “all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare” (EVp42S) a little less so. Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................... vi I. Spinoza and the Intellectual Love of God.................................................................................................. 1 I.A. Why the Intellectual Love of God. ..................................................................................................... 1 I.B. Literature Review. ................................................................................................................................ 12 I.C. Problems with the Intellectual Love of God. .................................................................................. 48 II. Intellectual Historical Excursus: Three Moments in the History of the Concept of the Intellectual Love of God in the Medieval Jewish Philosophical Tradition .................................................................. 52 II.A. The Concept of the Intellectual Love of God in Maimonides’ Moreh Nevukhim (Guide of the Perplexed). .................................................................................................................................................... 58 II.A.i. The Connection. .......................................................................................................................... 58 II.A.ii. Maimonides’ Concept of the Intellectual Love of God........................................................ 65 II.B. The Concept of the Love of God in Crescas’ Or Adonai (Light of the Lord). .......................... 77 II.B.i. The Connection. .......................................................................................................................... 77 II.B.ii. Crescas’ Concept of the Love of God. .................................................................................... 91 II.C. The Concept of the Intellectual Love of God in Judah Abarbanel’s Dialoghi d’Amore (Dialogues on Love). .................................................................................................................................100 II.C.i. The Connection. ........................................................................................................................100 II.C.ii. Judah Abarbanel’s Concept of the Intellectual Love of God. ...........................................104 iii III. The Intellectual Love of God in Spinoza ............................................................................................118 III.A. Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect. ..........................................................................................120 III.B. Short Treatise on God, Humankind, and Well-Being. .........................................................................123 III.C. Principles of Cartesian Philosophy + Metaphysical Thoughts. ..............................................................127 III.D. Theological-Political Treatise. ..............................................................................................................128 III.E. Ethics. ................................................................................................................................................132 III.E.i. The Propositions of the Intellectual Love of God. ............................................................134 III.E.ii. The Problems with the Intellectual love of God, Revisited. ............................................148 III.F. Political Treatise. .................................................................................................................................170 III.G. The Letters. ........................................................................................................................................172 III.H. Hebrew Grammar ..............................................................................................................................175 IV. Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................................178 IV.A. Taking Stock. ...................................................................................................................................178 IV.B. The Cardinality of the Intellectual Love of God for Spinoza. .................................................180 IV.C. Final Thoughts. ...............................................................................................................................187 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................190 iv Abstract In the following dissertation I argue that Spinoza’s concept of the intellectual love of God (ILG) is a – if not the – cardinal concept and value in all of his thought and works. I begin with a discussion of the obstacles to understanding the concept as such, a review of the literature evidencing the various though consistent shortcomings in the scholarly engagements, and a typology of the problems facing a coherent understanding of the concept. I ground the dissertation’s systematic examination of ILG throughout Spinoza’s corpus in a comparative excursus on the concept of ILG in three key works by three key representatives of the medieval Jewish philosophical tradition – a tradition I argue is essential for an adequate understanding of ILG in Spinoza, a tradition I argue he is very much a part of. Upon demonstrating the ubiquity of ILG as well as its rather consistent role and function throughout Spinoza’s corpus, and thus throughout his life and thought, I conclude with a discussion of the fundamentality of ILG for an adequate understanding of his ethical, political, and religious thought, and thus indeed his philosophy as a whole, illustrating the explanatory strength of the concept, and thus, once again, its cardinality for Spinoza. v Acknowledgements In the process of researching and writing this dissertation I have received abundant support – moral, spiritual, financial, and even physical – from a great many people and institutions. I give a hearty thanks and even a hug to them all, all of whom, ideally, are included below. To my parents, for the love and support. Especially to my mother, Raya, for fatefully dog- earing the “Jewish Studies” page in the McGill course catalogue all those years ago, back when they printed those out, and to my father, Fima, for introducing me to and perfectly exemplifying the concepts of duty and fatherhood, just to name a few. To my brother, Leon, for that unique number crunching perspective, days on the golf course or nights at the PHISH show (and away from the dissertation), and the many late night texting funnies. To the Chicago Center for Jewish Studies, the Acton Institute, and the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and all their faculty and staff, for their generous financial and administrative support over the years. To the Center for Jewish History, for kindly shepherding me through their impressive and well-managed archives that summer. To the Jewish Studies Workshop of the University of Chicago, for the many deadlines that motivated my writing and beneficial opportunities to present and discuss my work in progress. To my many teachers, professors, advisors, peers, and colleagues, throughout my academic career, especially Professors Carlos Fraenkel and Paul Mendes-Flohr, for their invaluable lessons, discussions, arguments, prodding, pointers, advice, suggestions, comments, edits and emendations, etc., for their guidance, and on much more than just the following dissertation. Any errors or shortcomings and any sentences over 5 lines long that remain in the following are mine alone. To my friends, academic and lay, scattered across the hemisphere and beyond, for keeping me true to vi myself and away from the middle. To the Grounds of Being Coffee Shop in the basement of Swift Hall, certainly one of the more hip java joints in the Midwest, for the copious Hail Mary’s full of locally roasted caffeinated grace and the borderline revolutionary vibe of late. To the Div. School A.M. cohort of 2009: word. To the leadership and congregation of KAMII, for the passion and community, and, of course, the song and prayer. To my several squash partners over the years and the usual people on the basketball court Friday afternoons at Ratner, for balancing the academic life and “distressertating” with a healthy dose of lactic acid and a serious oxygen debt. Finally, last but certainly not least, to my wife, Ashley, a recent PhD as well, for being the toughest and softest, strongest and most tender, soul (and always at just the right times), for the neck-rubs and smiles, the salads and the pies, for being my partner, my muse, my light, my love, and an amazing mom; and to my newborn son, Harvey, for colouring and brightening my every day, for making my house
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