Judaism and Rational Religion. Mendelssohn and the Tractatus theologico- politicus
Journal title RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA
Author/s Matteo Garau
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/4
Language Italian Pages 16 P. 601-616 File size 150 KB
DOI 10.3280/SF2025-004004
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This article explores an often overlooked Spinozian component of Mendelssohn’s thought: the influence of the Tractatus theologico-politicus on his con- ception of rational religion, the relationship between church and state, and Judaism. Mendelssohn embraced and utilized the Tractatus theologico-politicus to formulate some of the central positions of his political philosophy and religion. He read and in- terpreted the Tractatus theologico-politicus from a particular perspective, linked to his identity as a believing Jew: his primary objective was to defend the civil emancipation of Jews, affirming their freedom of worship. From this perspective, his book Jerusalem oder über religiöse Macht und Judentum (1783) constitutes a genuine con- frontation with Spinozian positions on the role of religion within the state and the meaning of Judaism. This article analyzes and compares Jerusalem and the Tractatus theologico-politicus, highlighting, despite all their differences, the profound and fun- damental similarities between the two works.
Keywords: Spinoza, Mendelssohn, rational religion, Spinozism, Judaism, Enlightenment.
Matteo Garau, Ebraismo e religione razionale. Mendelssohn e il Trattato teologico-politico in "RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA" 4/2025, pp 601-616, DOI: 10.3280/SF2025-004004