DANIELA MORDOCH

This research project aims to situate the theme of the moderation of affects at the core of the discussion of affects, freedom, and beatitude. It will investigate the status, field of application, and scope of this theme in Spinoza's Ethics. In light of the fact that the philosopher himself considered it his originality to deal with what the mind can do to moderate the forces of the affects, we propose to approach the concept of moderation along two lines of thematic analysis: 1) from the link between the evaluation of the affects and the genres of knowledge, insofar as we seek to investigate how we are affected, by which affects, with what force and how we perceive them; and 2) from the relationship between the moderation of the affects and the potency and power of the human mind to enjoy ultimate happiness and freedom, which will be explored in Ethics IV and V.