Born in Bondage: Slavery, Freedom, and Enlightenment in Spinoza

This chapter considers the fact that Benedict de Spinoza does not begin with the standard Enlightenment premise that all human beings are born free and equal. By maintaining that we are all born in bondage, Spinoza treats freedom as a fragile social accomplishment rather than an inalienable right. Nevertheless, by universalising bondage and considering right in terms of power, Spinoza’s philosophy offers avenues for claiming freedoms that differ from the standard model. This chapter concludes by reflecting on various interpretive efforts to think with Spinoza about resistance to oppression, domination, and colonial slavery.