The Essay - Enlightenment Voices - Spinoza - Part 2

Series focusing on the work of 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Prof Susan James from Birkbeck College, University of London, explores Spinoza's philosophical work on the role of democracy in 17th-century Europe. Spinoza's defence of democracy, along with his commitment to religious pluralism, set him apart from his contemporaries, and started a new line of political thinking which stretches to today. Reader: Bruce Alexander.