“Where would you rank Spinoza on this chart? Wikipedia mentions he is influenced by Descartes and Heidegger which is close to like a cop, but his push to end theocratic influence in government seems definitely punk to me!”
That’s a great and nuanced question — and you’re right to notice the tension between Spinoza’s rationalism (influenced by Descartes) and his radical political stance (closer to the punks).
Let’s break it down by “punk metrics”:
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🧠 Philosophical Style: Rationalist → Not Punk Leaning
Spinoza’s method is geometric and rigorously deductive — Ethics is written in axioms and proofs like Euclid. That kind of formal rationalism feels closer to Descartes, Kant, and Aristotle — all pretty un-punk in temperament. He seeks order, necessity, and intellectual love of God (Deus sive Natura) rather than rebellion for its own sake.
→ This part puts him around “Not punk” (next to Descartes, maybe one step higher).
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⚡ Social and Political Thought: Secular, Democratic, Anti-Clerical → Very Punk
Here’s where Spinoza shines.
• He was excommunicated from the Amsterdam Jewish community at 23 for heretical views — the OG punk credential.
• He argued for freedom of thought and speech in the Theological-Political Treatise, claiming the state shouldn’t police belief — radical in the 17th century.
• He rejected both religious and monarchical authority, advocating an early form of democracy and secularism.
• Lived modestly, refused university posts and pensions, grinding lenses for a living — DIY ethos incarnate.
→ This moves him solidly up to “Punk”, arguably brushing against “Very punk.”
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💀 Overall Verdict
He’s too rational and serene to be as punk as Diogenes or Marx, but too defiant and uncompromising to be lumped with Kant or Descartes.
👉 Final placement: high “Punk,” maybe touching the bottom edge of “Very Punk.”
You could picture him between Camus and Wittgenstein, or right beside Fanon and Wollstonecraft — a serene but dangerous rebel.
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If you like, I can mock up a version of that chart with Spinoza added in visually at the right spot. Would you like me to do that?
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