The fifth Collegium Spinozanum attracted guests from all over the world to Hagen. Organizer Prof. Martin Lenz explains what makes the early modern thinker so fascinating.
The relatively low public awareness of Spinoza’s work stands in stark contrast to the enormous influence the Dutch philosopher (1632-1677) has had on the history of ideas within academia. To this day, scholars across a wide range of disciplines – from philosophy and psychology to mathematics – continue to engage with his writings. “Spinoza is an underdog,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Lenz of FernUniversität in Hagen. “But when I started reading him – relatively late, when I was already a postdoctoral researcher – I only then began to understand certain things. His influence is simply immense. Whether it’s Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, or Freud, so much of Spinoza’s thought runs through their work as an underlying current.”
Diversity That Brings People Together
“This diversity of influences is also what makes our Collegium Spinozanum so diverse,” says Professor Lenz about the summer school. The event was held for the fifth time at FernUniversität in Hagen. As in previous years, Martin Lenz organized the four-day gathering together with his colleague Andrea Sangiacomo (University of Groningen / Erasmus University Rotterdam). “We’re delighted to see that the Spinoza community continues to grow,” says Lenz, pleased with the strong turnout. “More than sixty participants came from Argentina, Canada, China, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many different European countries.”
A Holistic Concept of God and Nature
Spinoza was not always so highly regarded. Among his contemporaries, he was a controversial figure, particularly because he did not believe in a transcendent God who, as creator, watches over humanity from afar. “We are all God; we are all part of nature. Everything is connected to everything else,” Lenz explains, summarizing Spinoza’s philosophy. “As human beings, we are not the crown of creation, but merely modes within the totality of nature.” This idea continues to resonate today, especially in discussions of environmental ethics. “When we take care of something, we are automatically taking care of ourselves – as part of the whole.” Spinoza’s holistic worldview would only gain widespread advocates in later centuries.
(Martin Lenz welcoming Julia Peters / Photo: FernUniversität)
Banished from His Community
The son of Portuguese immigrants initially made himself unpopular with his progressive ideas, especially within his own Jewish community. Because he openly questioned the central tenets of faith upheld by Amsterdam’s Jewish community, he was excommunicated in 1656. He later earned his living as a lens grinder, literally bringing clarity through his craft while simultaneously working on his penetrating philosophical writings. “A central idea in his work is that we are driven beings,” Lenz explains. “We believe that it is our goals that pull us forward. But in reality, we are being pushed from behind. This contains many ideas that were later taken up by others: in Nietzsche, for example, it becomes the will to power, and in Freud, the unconscious.” Unlike his ideas, however, Spinoza himself was not granted a long life. He died of tuberculosis in The Hague at the age of just forty-four.
A Small Team Takes on a Big Challenge
Martin Lenz expressed his gratitude to his team for their outstanding work. All participants gave highly positive feedback, marking a major success for what is, after all, a relatively small academic unit. “The team had everything under control,” the professor said enthusiastically. Not only was the conference program packed with engaging content, but the setting on the Hagen campus also impressed participants, offering a chill-out area, quiet retreat spaces, and numerous opportunities for networking. “I learned an enormous amount,” Martin Lenz emphasized. “The workshop generated tremendous inspiration.” In addition to the academic program, participants were offered career guidance, as well as roundtable discussions on research infrastructure and funding opportunities.
“We’ll see where we are in two years,” Martin Lenz says, already looking forward with anticipation to the next gathering.
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Text and photos by Bendedikt Reuse
Translated from the German by Martin Lenz
Handling Ideas 