[마이리뷰] A History of Philosophy

A History of Philosophy (Paperback)
Frank Thilly / Alpha Edition / 2019년 3월

print on demand여도 이렇게 낙서가 아무렇게나 된 (이건 annotation도 아닌 그냥 휘갈긴) 스캔본을 한참 뒤에서야 이만한 돈 받고 보내나요? 게다가 한국어 번역본에 나와있는 부분은 아예 나와있지도 않네요..

스피노자 윤리학 책을 실제로 읽을 때 도움이 될만한 책.

스피노자 윤리학 수업
진태원 지음 / 그린비 / 2022년 1월

스피노자 관련 책들이 많지만 너무 난해하거나 아니면 너무 두리뭉실한 입문적 내용이 많아서 

실제로 원전을 읽으면서 도움을 받기에는 감정 부분만 대충 훑는 책들 때문에 (특히 강신주 책) 경계하게 되었는데.. 토마스 쿡의 Reading guide와 이 책이 정말 실제로 윤리학 원전을 읽으면서 개념 및 논쟁점을 짚어주며 함께 읽기에 (또는 나처럼 원저를 읽고나서 다시 재독할 때 읽기에) 좋은 책이다. 원문 번역도 저자가 직접 해서 그런지 비교적 부드러운 편이고 (물론 스피노자 원작이 좀 무슨 소린지 모르게 쓸 때가 많긴 하다.. 난 벌써4-5번 재독;;) 한국인 저자가 쓴 스피노자 윤리학 관련 강의 중에는 제일 읽을만하고 강의도 들을만 할 것 같다. (책 자체에 대한 평보다 오디오북에 대한 평이 더 많아서 아리송하고 아쉬움;;) 나중에 작가의 스피노자의 다른 책에 대한 강의도 책으로 있으면 좋겠다.

[100자평] Spinoza's 'ethics' : A Reader's Guide

Spinoza's 'ethics' : A Reader's Guide (Paperback)
J. Thomas Cook / Continuum Intl Pub Group / 2007년 11월

Very helpful guide through the enigmatic Ethics although it isn‘t so clear in the most problematic part V. The study questions at the end of each section were especially valuable.

여러가지 도움으로 겨우 완독.

Ethics (Paperback)
Benedictus de Spinoza / Penguin Classics / 1996년 6월

This is my second try at reading this. The first time I DNF'd in the first part. This time I got the help of a buddy-read discussion and a couple of tips from introductions and guidebooks.

Although I read the Penguin edition, I got a lot of help from the introduction to the Hackett edition which explains the main terms Spinoza uses in his special sense. I also got a lot of help and food for thought from Spinoza's Ethics: A Reader's Guide by J. Thomas Cook. I also consulted 3 other books tranlslated or written in Korean especially on the most problematic latter portion of part V. (I especially found chapter 3 from Pierre-Francois Moreau's Spinoza Manual and lecture 10 from 스피노자 윤리학 수업 by 진태원 helpful.)
I won't attempt to summarize or explain his book in this review because although it is a short book, I think it will take far more space to explain his whole views and summarizing wouldn't do at all because his views are so holistic that it's difficult to just look at it by pieces. One would have to first read it as a whole before you fully understand some parts of the book. Sometimes this makes the reader constantly refer back to the previous parts of the book.

Also, although I DID get a lot of help, it doesn't mean that I am firm on my conclusions or I don't have all questions answered. The first part where he gives the definitions and axioms as clear truth taken for granted was where I gave up the first time, and although Moreau and many others have helped in understanding what the definitions meant for Spinoza and his intention behind this defiinition(for example, his definition of attribute is meant to show his belief that human understanding (or perceiving) the essence of substance (God) is possible.), it is still uncertain HOW this definition came so certain and clear to him. It's like the intuitive eye of infinity or the third kind of knowledge mentioned in part V. How do we attain that level of understanding or intelligence of God/Nature? Spinoza isn't very clear in either part I or part V. The part on the human affects and the ways of overcoming passion is all very well and I see traces of how it influenced many of the cognitive behavior therapy and the mind-body relationship and his worldview of a single substance existing as its essence is another fascinating view, but his explanations seem to be cursory and abstract in the parts where they are the most perplexing. It is no wonder there are so many different interpretations of Spinoza and I wish he had lived a bit longer to explain it.

Another minor gripe I had with this book was his views on suicide and animal rights. I know his view was probably understandable given the period, but his view on suicide reflects how little was known about psychology and it appears that he didn't want to bother with understanding what 'external causes' influence the conatus, or the striving to decrease. Also, animals may have inferior intelligence but wouldn't they still be one part of the universe that we belong to? From a guy who tries to understand so much, it was surprising he didn't bother with the ones who may be most strongly influenced by human intervention.

Still, the book is fascinating and I found some connections with buddhism or taoism and even quantum physics and cognitive neuroscience. Antonio Negri was right in calling him the 'savage anomaly' of the Western philosophy tradition! I've given up metaphysics before but am now ready to tackle other books concerning metaphysics and epistemology, even the books on cognitive science and artificial intelligence after fumbling and struggling through this book!

142p

142p