LUCRETIUS AND SPINOZA OR CLINAMEN AND CONATUS

Authors

  • Pedro Mauricio Garcia Dotto The New School for Social Research

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-9012.espinosa.2019.149491

Keywords:

Lucretius, Spinoza, Clinamen, Conatus, Freedom, Necessity

Abstract

This paper compares and contrasts two philosophical concepts that stem from different lineages of thought: on the one hand, Lucretius’ clinamen; on the other, Spinoza’s conatus. What has motivated my research for this paper is a conflation between these two notions as suggested by Deleuze in the appendix to his Logique du sens. In this regard, the first section is oriented towards an elucidation of Lucretius’ philosophy – consequently, of Epicurus’ as well –and, specifically, of his view about the swerve of atoms, or clinamen, combined with the subject of freedom. The second section is dedicated to clarifying Spinoza’s metaphysics and the accommodation of the theme of freedom within his robust necessitarian framework, interwoven with the motif of conatus, or self-preserving striving. Against Deleuze’s reading, however, I argue that clinamen and conatus belong to metaphysical systems that are quite incompatible and that they support different understandings of both freedom and necessity.

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Published

2019-12-19

Issue

No. 41 (2019)

Section

Artigos

License

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How to Cite

Dotto, P. M. G. (2019). LUCRETIUS AND SPINOZA OR CLINAMEN AND CONATUS. Cadernos Espinosanos, 41, 241-277. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2447-9012.espinosa.2019.149491