NOTES ON SPINOZA’S THOUGHT: NATURAL LAW

Abstract

Spinoza’s natural law is the central concept that this study discusses. And in relation to natural law we will try to explain other fundamental concepts of Spinoza’s philosophy: the common decree, the supreme legal authorities and the salvation of the people or harmony. The elements to analyze are, therefore, matter, form, agents and ends. The author of this article starts from a simple premise: natural law represents the material aspect of Spinoza’s thought. However natural law must also us give reason of the materiality in Spinoza’s philosophy, what he calls the common decree can help us to describe the formal aspect. On the other hand, what Spinoza calls the supreme legal authorities can serve to discover the plane of the agents. And, finally, the salvation of the people can be the opportune reference when arranging the plane of the ends in Spinoza’s philosophy.