The philosopher Baruch de Spinoza

Baruch de Spinoza (1632–1677) is one of the most influential philosophers of the early modern period. His ideas about God, nature, freedom, and reason influenced not only philosophy but also modern concepts of tolerance, ethics, and democracy. What many don't realize, however, is that Spinoza's thought is inextricably linked to his origins in the Sephardic Jewish tradition—a cultural and religious community with a deep, often tragic history.

Sephardic Roots – A Legacy of Expulsion and Reconstruction

Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in 1632 into a family of Sephardic Jews originally from Portugal. The Sephardim were descendants of the Jewish communities on the Iberian Peninsula who were brutally persecuted by the Inquisition in the 15th century. Many fled to Portugal, but by 1497 at the latest, they were forced to convert to Christianity or were expelled.

The Spinoza family was one of many who went into exile in the Netherlands to live openly as Jews again. Amsterdam offered comparative religious tolerance in the 17th century and attracted a thriving Sephardic Jewish community—a community that proudly cultivated its Spanish-Portuguese culture but also wrestled with the tensions of rebuilding Jewish identity after centuries of persecution.

Spinoza's relationship to his origins

Baruch de Spinoza grew up in this community and received a traditional Jewish education. He began to question central religious dogmas at an early age. His critical attitude toward miracles, revelation, and the concept of a personal God brought him into conflict with the religious authorities of his time.

In 1656, Spinoza was excommunicated from the community under the herem , the Jewish curse. This expulsion was formulated with unprecedented severity and was never revoked—a sign of how dangerous his ideas were perceived to be for the fragile identity of the Sephardic exile community.

Yet precisely in this tension between origin and rupture lies a deeper connection: Spinoza's thinking about God as natura naturans —that is, God as nature itself—can be understood as a radical development of the intellectual tradition that originated in medieval Judeo-Islamic philosophy. He was strongly influenced by Maimonides, but went far beyond him.

Spinoza's main works – Reason, Ethics and Radical Theology

Baruch de Spinoza's philosophical work is comparatively small in scope, but of revolutionary depth. He published very little under his own name during his lifetime—for good reason: his ideas were considered heretical, dangerous, or even atheistic by many. The impact of his writings, especially three major works that are still considered milestones in philosophy, is all the more remarkable.

Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (1670)
This work was published anonymously and immediately became highly controversial. In it, Spinoza defends freedom of thought and the separation of theology and philosophy. He argues that religious authorities must not dominate thought—and that the Bible should not be read literally, but rather historically and critically. Particularly bold was his thesis that Holy Scripture is a human product and its authority depends not on divine inspiration, but on its utility for the common good.

The Tractatus was a plea for religious tolerance, freedom of expression—and a radical reassessment of religious texts. The fact that it came from a man who had himself been excluded from a religious community makes it doubly explosive.

Ethica, ordine geometrico demonstrata (posthumous 1677)
Ethics , Spinoza's main work, was not published until after his death—its content was too sensitive. In it, he sets out his entire philosophy in the rigorous form of geometric proofs: axioms, definitions, theorems, and proofs follow one another, as if he wanted to make morality and metaphysics as irrefutable as mathematics.

At the heart of this is his famous thesis: "Deus sive Natura" – God or Nature. For Spinoza, God is not a personal being outside the world, but the infinite, necessary substance in which everything exists. For him, freedom does not mean arbitrary choice, but rather the recognition and acceptance of the laws of nature. Happiness arises from knowledge, not from belief.

Tractatus Politicus (unfinished, posthumously 1677)
In this unfinished political treatise, Spinoza continues his thoughts on the ideal form of government. He analyzes monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy and ultimately advocates for a democratic community that protects freedom of thought. Here, too, his modern thinking is evident: power should be controlled, religion independent of the state, and freedom understood not as a threat but as the foundation of order.

Spinoza's works mark a turning point: from a religiously influenced interpretation of the world to a rational analysis of humanity, society, and nature. They emerged from a life lived in the tension between tradition and disruption – and continue to resonate today.

A universal thinker with Jewish roots

Spinoza developed an ethics that replaced religious revelation with reason. He advocated freedom of expression, tolerance, and a natural order in which humanity is part of the whole—not the center or crown of creation.

His Sephardic roots provided him with a cultural and spiritual foundation: respect for text and interpretation, dealing with multilingualism and exile, and the experience that religious identity can both provide support and be a burden.

Conclusion

Baruch de Spinoza was a cross-border worker: between religion and philosophy, tradition and enlightenment, belonging and exclusion. His Sephardic roots are not merely a biographical detail—they are a key to understanding the depth and radicalness of his thought. In his person, the legacy of a persecuted culture is combined with the vision of a universal reason.

In fall 2025, the JCOM will explore the music and culture of Sephardic Jews in the project THE KEYS OF TOLEDO. This project is funded by the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) as part of the "National Socialist Injustice" educational program.

Current concert dates at www.jcom.de/konzerte .