The Ontological Status of Scripture and the Spinozist Doctrine of Individuality

Abstract

Do the products of human work, in particular, those that are literary or scriptural in nature, correspond to Spinoza’s definition of an individual? At first glance, such a question seems absurd, but in this essay Matheron endeavours to show that precisely such a conception is the case. Despite the various Holy Books all seeming to blend superstition and history, Matheron, following Spinoza, argues that each, regardless of their empirical genesis, aim to communicate a basic message to readers: the demand for justice and charity based on the love of God. But is the communication of this message merely a metaphor for the way individuals for Spinoza are said to be composed of various bodies that communicate their movements to one another? Not at all. Scripture quite literally communicates with the bodies and minds of its readers consequently affecting their behaviour.