BENEDICT DE SPINOZA: Theological-Political Treatise

Theological-Political Treatise
con¢rmed by experience itself. For we ¢nd no traces of divine justice
except where just men rule. Elsewhere, to use Solomon’s words once
again, 3 we see the same chance a¡ecting the just and the unjust, pure
and impure, which has rendered many people doubtful concerning
divine providence, since they thought God ruled over men directly and
directed the whole of nature for their bene¢t.
232 [9] It is clear from both experience and reason, then, that divine law
depends solely upon the decree of the sovereign authorities, and hence
also that they are its interpreters. We shall now see how they do this. For
it is time to demonstrate that external religious worship and every
expression of piety must, if we wish to obey God rightly, be consistent
with the stability and conservation of the commonwealth. With this
proven, we shall easily be able to understand why sovereign authorities
are the [sole] interpreters of religion and piety.
[10] It is certain that piety towards one’s country is the highest piety
that anyone can show, for if the state is dissolved, nothing good can exist;
everything is put in danger; anger and impiety are the only powers, and
everyone is terri¢ed. It follows that any pious act that one can perform
for a neighbour becomes impious if it entails harm to the whole state,
and, conversely, there can be no impious act against a neighbour which is
not to be deemed pious if done for the preservation of the state. It is
pious, for instance, if I hand over my cloak to someone who is in dispute
with me and aspires to take my tunic, also. 4 But in a situation where this
is judged prejudicial to the preservation of the commonwealth, the pious
thing, rather, is to bring him before a court, even if he will be condemned
to death.This is why ManliusTorquatus is celebrated because he
valued the safety of the people more than piety towards his son. 5 Given
this, it follows that the people’s safety is the supreme law 6 to which all
other laws both human and divine must be accommodated. However,
it is the duty of the sovereign authority alone to determine what is
necessary for the security of the whole people and of the state, and lay
down what it deems necessary. It follows that it is also the duty of the
sovereign authority alone to lay down how a person should behave with
3 Ecclesiastes 9.2.
4 Matthew 5.40, Luke 6.29.
6 Cicero, On the Laws, 3.3.
5 See Livy, History of Rome, 8.6^7.
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