Rationally Speaking Podcast Rationally Speaking #45 - Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on Spinoza, Göedl, and Theories of Everything
11 snips
Oct 9, 2011 
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, a MacArthur Genius Award recipient and expert on Spinoza and Gödel, dives into their revolutionary ideas. She elaborates on Spinoza's unique conception of God and ethics, and how these philosophies intersect with literature. Goldstein also explores Gödel's profound influence on truth and free will. With insights into her novels and the philosophy behind them, she discusses the evolution of violence through reason and the complex views of human nature according to Hume. An engaging blend of philosophy and storytelling awaits listeners!
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Spinoza's God As A Final Theory
- Spinoza's "God or Nature" is not pantheism about ordinary nature but a final, self-explaining Theory of Everything.
- Rebecca Newberger Goldstein says Spinoza saw God as the causa sui whose infinite explanation produces necessity, appealing to physicists and string theorists.
Spinoza's Personal Roots Shaped His Universalism
- Spinoza's personal history in a fraught Portuguese-Jewish refugee community shaped his radical universalism and rejection of religious identity.
- Goldstein links his community's disputes about Jewish identity to his Cartesian-driven move beyond parochial labels.
Two Attributes Reflect Human Finitude
- Spinoza's two attributes, thought and extension, may reflect our limited perspective rather than divide reality.
- Goldstein suggests God may have infinitely many attributes and the two we know are simply complementary carve-ups of one world.
