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Spinoza by Devra Lehmann
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Spinoza

The Outcast Thinker

By Devra Lehmann
Read by Erin Bennett

By Devra Lehmann
Read by Erin Bennett

Best Seller

Part of PHILOSOPHY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Audiobook Download $23.00

Aug 15, 2023 | 361 Minutes | Young Adult

Spinoza by Devra Lehmann
Audiobook Download
Aug 15, 2023 | ISBN 9780593679616 | 361 Minutes

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  • Aug 15, 2023 | ISBN 9780593679616 | Young Adult

    361 Minutes

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About Spinoza

An entertaining and accessible introduction to the radical philosopher of freedom of thought and religion is the only biography of Spinoza for young adults.
The second title in the Philosophy for Young People series.

  • Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
  • A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books

“Clarity, accessibility and spot-on relevance to issues facing modern society make this a must read.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A brilliant schoolboy in 17th-century Amsterdam, Bento Spinoza⏤formally Baruch and later Benedict de Spinoza⏤quickly learns to keep his ideas to himself. When he is 23, those ideas prove so scandalous to his own Jewish community that he is cast out, cursed, and effectively erased from their communal life. The scandal shows no sign of waning as his ideas spread throughout Europe. At the center of the storm, he lives the simplest of lives, quietly devoted to his work as a lens grinder and to his steadfast search for truth, striving to embody a philosophy of tolerance and benevolence. Spinoza does not live to see his ideas change the world.
 
What caused such an uproar? Spinoza challenged age-old ideas about God, the Bible, and religion. His God was the sum total of nature, not a father-figure who created the world and takes care of humankind. His bible was a book like any other, not a holy text to be interpreted only by religious authorities. His religion was a commitment to basic moral behavior, not a collection of superstitions or rituals. For such ideas, Spinoza was reviled, but he emerged from his experience as one of history’s most articulate voices for freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Those of us who enjoy the fundamental rights of modern democracies are the beneficiaries of Spinoza’s quiet bravery.  
 
Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker is the second book in the new Philosophy for Young People series, introducing readers to seminal philosophers from ancient times up through the present day.

Listen to a sample from Spinoza

About Devra Lehmann

DEVRA LEHMANN is the author of Socrates: A Life Worth Living and Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker, which won the 2014 National Jewish Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. In her 35 years in the classroom, she has taught preschoolers… More about Devra Lehmann

Product Details

Category: Teen & Young Adult Nonfiction | Audiobooks

Audiobook Download | $23.00
Published by Listening Library
Aug 15, 2023 | 361 Minutes | Young Adult | ISBN 9780593679616

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