POLITICAL QUARTERLY

POLITICAL QUARTERLY

A Reflection on the Relationship between Religion and Politics in Spinoza's Political Thought

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Erfan Tarkesh 1
Mohammad Tohidfam 2
1 PhD Candidate, Political Science, majoring in political thought, Political Science Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor of Political Science Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jpq.2026.400807.1008418
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Objective
This study aims to explore the rational, ethical, and balanced relationship between religion and politics as articulated in Baruch Spinoza's political philosophy, addressing the central question of how a harmonious interplay between the two domains can be established so as to prevent either confrontation or the domination of one over the other. The hypothesis posits that Spinoza's model, which relies on an institutional separation of religion and politics alongside an emphasis on rationality and morality, positions religion in the service of public virtue while grounding politics in the rational contracts of citizens.

Introduction
In the history of modern political thought, the interplay between religion and politics remains a contentious issue. Spinoza, a pivotal rationalist thinker of the early modern era, critiques traditional entanglements by advocating for a secular, rational state. Drawing from his key works, particularly the Theological-Political Treatise, this article examines Spinoza's foundational commitments to the unity of being, natural rationality, and individual ethics, highlighting his efforts to detach religion from political authority and realign it with human dignity and peace.

Methodology
Employing a qualitative, theoretical, and foundational-analytical approach, this research utilizes conceptual-interpretive analysis and hermeneutic methods to dissect Spinoza's texts within their respective historical and discursive contexts. A comparative-critical framework is adopted to contrast Spinoza's ideas with those of classical and modern thinkers, including Descartes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, as well as contemporary Iranian scholars such as Seyed Javad Tabatabai. The analysis is structured around four principal axes: the historical and epistemological emergence of Spinoza's thought, the conception of religion in opposition to Cartesian dualism, the theory of a rational and secular state, and Spinoza's influence on Enlightenment thought, democracy, and pluralist politics.

Findings
Spinoza's philosophy reveals a systematic separation of religion from politics, wherein religion functions as an ethical tool for justice and love while politics derives its legitimacy from rational consent rather than divine authority. Rejecting Cartesian dualism, Spinoza posits a monistic ontology in which religion fosters moral virtue without encroaching on state sovereignty. His ideas profoundly influenced Enlightenment radicalism, modern democratic theories, and pluralist politics, offering a sustained critique of superstition, fundamentalism, and ideological domination while actively promoting freedom of thought and secular governance.


Conclusion
Despite the passage of more than three centuries, Spinoza's thought retains considerable theoretical and practical relevance for contemporary societies grappling with religious fundamentalism, crises of political legitimacy, and persistent tensions between tradition and modernity. By advocating for a rational secularism and an ethical integration of religion and politics, his model offers a viable framework for fostering peaceful coexistence between the two domains, with a sustained emphasis on public virtue, individual freedom, and democratic pluralism.


Keywords
Spinoza
Religion
Politics
Rationalist Secularism
Freedom of Thought
Enlightenment
Pluralist Democracy
Subjects
References
Balibar, É. (1998). Spinoza and politics. Verso.
Curley, E. (1988). Behind the geometrical method: A reading of Spinoza's ethics. Princeton University Press.
Davari Ardakani, R., & Shakeri, S. R. (2010). Political security in the thought of Imam Khomeini. Journal of Political Knowledge, *5*(2), 69–86.
Deleuze, G. (1992). Expressionism in philosophy: Spinoza (M. Joughin, Trans.). Zone Books.
Garrett, D. (Ed.). (1996). The Cambridge companion to Spinoza. Cambridge University Press.
Habermas, J. (2003). The future of human nature. Polity Press.
Hobbes, T. (1994). Leviathan (E. Curley, Ed.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1651)
Israel, J. I. (2001). Radical enlightenment: Philosophy and the making of modernity 1650–1750. Oxford University Press.
Israel, J. I. (2006). Enlightenment contested: Philosophy, modernity, and the emancipation of man 1670–1752. Oxford University Press.
Kant, I. (1991). An answer to the question: ‘What is enlightenment?’ In H. Reiss (Ed.), Kant: Political writings (2nd ed., pp. 54–60). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1784)
Karimi, A. (2019). The relationship between rationality and ethics in Spinoza's philosophy. Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies. [In Persian]
Locke, J. (1980). A letter concerning toleration (J. H. Tully, Ed.). Hackett Publishing. (Original work published 1689)
Nadler, S. (2001). Spinoza: A life. Cambridge University Press.
Nadler, S. (2006). Spinoza's ethics: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.
Negri, A. (1991). The savage anomaly: The power of Spinoza's metaphysics and politics (M. Hardt, Trans.). University of Minnesota Press.
Rousseau, J.-J. (1997). The social contract (M. Cranston, Trans.). Penguin Books. (Original work published 1762)
Sharp, H. (2011). Spinoza and the politics of renaturalization. University of Chicago Press.
Spinoza, B. (1985). The collected works of Spinoza (Vol. 1, E. Curley, Ed. & Trans.). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1677)
Spinoza, B. (2007). Theological-political treatise (J. Israel, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1670)
Tabatabai, S. J. (2014). A philosophical introduction to the history of political thought in Iran. Minuye Kherad. [In Persian]
Taylor, C. (1999). The explanation of ideology: Spinoza and the enlightenment. Cambridge University Press.
Tohidfam, M. (1999). An examination of the reasons for the incompatibility of Iran's political system with the development of political parties. In Office of Political Studies and Research, Ministry of Interior (Ed.), Partisanship in Iran. Hamshahri Publishing.
Tohidfam, M. (2001). Discourse of ethics and politics in the paradigm of modernity and postmodernity. Journal of the Faculty of Law and Political Science, *54*, 29–54. [In Persian]
Tohidfam, M. (2009). The integration of action and structure in the thought of Giddens, Bourdieu, and Habermas and its impact on new sociology. Research Letter of Political Science, *15*(4), 79–107.
Tohidfam, M. (2018). Good governance and social security system. Scientific and Cultural Publications.
Tohidfam, M., & Touserkani, A. (2021). An analysis of media policymaking: A transition from classical institutionalism to new institutionalism. Political Quarterly, *51*(1), 81–97.
POLITICAL QUARTERLY
Volume 56, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 721-699

  • Receive Date 08 September 2025
  • Revise Date 18 October 2025
  • Accept Date 30 May 2026