ABSTRACT
The psychological core of a political theory consists of its emotional attitudes toward people. The masses, with the approach of the Industrial Revolution, were beginning to assert their will in political action. Spinoza was a thoroughgoing political monist. Spinoza, a democratic liberal, voices the first concern as to the role that the multitude of men will play. The amazing thing about Spinoza's theory of democracy is that he found himself, despite his mathematical method, quite unable to provide a consistent definition of "democracy". Spinoza defined "democracy" in a way which made it compatible with oligarchical rule. In actual experience, Spinoza knew the power of the state to mold and control human opinions. Modes of government, Spinoza argued, are rooted in the psychological characteristics of their respective peoples. The notion of a progressive social revolution was something alien to Spinoza's philosophy.
