Desire and servitude in Spinoza

• Grant number: 22/00807-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - History of Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Homero Silveira Santiago
• Grantee: Matheus Romero de Morais
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/19880-4 - Power, conflict and freedom: Spinoza and the ways of Modern and Contemporary Political Philosophy about democracy, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/03778-7 - Desire and Servitude in Spinoza, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

From a wider point of view, this work is a broad and profound study about the concecpt of servitude in Baruch de Spinozas philosophy. Therefore, a central aspect of this research is the investigation of such concept in all its diffent meanings - affective, ethic, politic, juridic, etc. In a more specific point of view, the problem we use as a starting point, and also as a horizon, is that which Deleuze and Guattari have called the fundamental problem of political philosophy: why do men fight for their servitude as if it were their salvation? Is it possible, based solely on Spinozas thought, to attribute any responsability in the process of servitude to those who serve? Is it possible to suggest that one might act towards their own servitude? Is it possible to say that someone whishes to serve? In sum, under what conditions can we associate desire - the essence of men whilst determined to do something that serves to its own conservation - and servitude?