O percurso ético-político para a formação do Estado democrático, uma abordagem a partir de Spinoza

Abstract

This master dissertation deals with the ethical-political journey outlined by Benedictus de Spinoza (1632-1677), through his main works, in order to demonstrate how such perspectives are articulated for the constitution of the democratic State. The democracy had moments of apogee and decadence in the greek polis, which gave it critics and ardent defenders. The discussions about a democratic state, still fruitful in our day, as shown by Habermas, Rawls, and Amartya Sen, were also present in the modern period, although, in the light of a new theoretical reference, that of natural-law contractualism, indispensable, if not as content, at least as a reference, for contemporaneity. In this, the Spinoza's ideas are inserted, through a rather singular course, which undoubtedly has presuppositions in the philosopher's own ethics. Thus, it is argued, firstly, that the Ethics Demonstrated the Manner of Geometers, starts from an epistemological perspective for the establishment of an ontological foundation, understood as absolute cause, cause whose knowledge will enable adequate knowledge of the effects. This, in turn, will allow us to understand that, in a relation of immanent causality, the Substance produces finite modes, which contain in its essence the conatus and this connected to the appropriate knowledge imprints on the individual activity and autonomy, that is, freedom – one of the fundamental categories of the author's political theory. Next, the political conception of Spinoza will be presented, based on the Theological-Political Treatise and the Political Treatise, with the purpose of demonstrating how individuals are understood in the field of natural law and civil law, being this the moment in which the crowd is constituted. Finally, in order to explain the articulation between ethics and politics, the ethical function of the conatus will be exposed to corroborate the idea that control of the passions promotes freedom, and to the extent that man, in the full exercise of his conatus, decides to meet with other men to ensure its conservation, forms the crowd, that is, the sovereign: foundation of the State. It is intended to demonstrate the relevance of its ethical and political conceptions to the theoretical foundation of the Modern Democratic State, as well as its insertion in the debates concerning Natural Law, emphasizing, thus, that its valuable contributions are not confined to the limits of philosophy, still affecting several areas such as history, theology, political science and law.