Spinoza, Naturalism and the Question of God: Challenging the Orthodox Interpretation

The interpretation of Spinoza as a materialistic atheist is widely given within Western philosophy. Particularly within the Anglo-American tradition, Spinoza’s monistic pantheism has been regarded as a precursor to modern secularism and scientific forms of naturalism. This interpretation, which is typified within Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi’s critique of pantheistic models of theism, argues that Spinoza’s attempt to identify God with Nature (Deus sive Natura) leads to a materialistic model of naturalism, one devoid of divine intentionality or teleology. Contemporary scholars such as Steven Nadler, Jonathan Israel, Jonathan Bennett, have since reinforced this reading, further suggesting that Spinoza’s rejection of supernaturalism, and his subsequent embrace of causal determinism, renders his concept of God to be an impersonal and atheistic principle, something that can be seen as synonymous with the natural world itself. This paper seeks to engage with these interpretations critically. I will challenge the orthodox interpretation of Spinoza as an atheist by arguing that his pantheistic position is better understood within the framework of Theistic Expansive Naturalism, that is, a framework of ontology that preserves monistic naturalism whilst still allowing for an immanent theism. Accordingly, by drawing from the works of Expansive Naturalist thinkers such as John McDowell, Mario De Caro, and Fiona Ellis, I propose that Spinoza’s monistic pantheism allows for an immanent creative force with a teleological dimension, positioning Spinoza as a theistic naturalist as opposed to a materialistic atheist. In doing this, I seek to offer a far more nuanced understanding of Spinoza’s metaphysics, aiming to challenge a dominant view within contemporary philosophy of religion that naturalism must entail atheism. As such, my work strives to advance the wider philosophical debate on the relationship between theism, naturalism, and secularism, providing a refreshed contribution to Spinoza scholarship and contemporary discussions within Philosophy of Religion.