Episode #67: Steven Nadler: Virtue is its Own Reward

Professor Steven Nadler of the University of Wisconsin joins these Fools to talk about the life and work of Baruch Spinoza, who was expelled from Judaism in the 1600s for his radical views on God and Nature. We discuss Spinoza’s view on living a successful life, the ideas of Freedom and Passion, whether Free Will can exist, and also other areas in Nadler’s realm of expertise such as medieval Jewish philosophy and its relationship to theology. It was a pleasure hosting Dr. Nadler and we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed the conversation!

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See the Fools and Sages show notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GVCVW1h2_-4JOU22KREzTO0lVDiN3icg?usp=drive_link

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Steven Nadler
03:10 The World Before Spinoza
08:50 Spinoza's Philosophy
11:45 Ostracism and Its Implications
17:31 Spinoza's Influence on Modern Philosophy
29:00 Nature and Individuality in Spinoza's Thought
44:10 Navigating Life's Challenges
50:01 Virtue and Happiness
54:48 The Nature of Good and Evil
01:05:35 Jewish Philosophy and Religion
01:11:26 Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism, and Anti-Judaism
01:17:17 The Landscape of Jewish Identity and Israel
01:28:13 Philosophy in Contemporary Society