ABSTRACT
Spinoza’s view of a just politics includes the notion that, in a democracy, the majority must have supreme power, but he thinks this poses no danger to the minority because each citizen is given full civic equality. Only in this context do people exercise the free use of their reason, undeterred by emotions designed to deny it. This chapter discusses Spinoza’s contribution to political theory, including a brief overview of the historical context, which helps to explain Spinoza’s determination to support a secular, liberal democracy.
