Ethics

Samuel Shirley, (1912-2006), was Classics Exhibitioner of Balliol College, Oxford, and Latin Lecturer at Cardiff University.

• Contents: THE ETHICS -- Part One: Concerning God; Part Two: Of the Nature and Origin of the Mind; Part Three: Concerning the Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Part Four: Of Human Bondage, or the Nature of the Emotions; Part Five: Of the Power of the Intellect, or of Human Freedom; TREATISE ON THE EMENDATION OF THE INTELLECT; Selected Letters.

Professor Shirley has provided a translation which is fluent, eminently readable, and responsive to current research into Spinoza's thought. Where a particular passage is difficult or obscure, Shirley never attempts to interpose himself between the reader and Spinoza, nor to side with one or another competing school of interpretation. This makes his translation not just an ideal introduction for the reader new to Spinoza, but also a trustworthy source of insight for the more advanced reader. --Lee C. Rice, Marquette University