Open AccessLUCRETIUS AND SPINOZA OR CLINAMEN AND CONATUS
Author(s) -
Pedro Mauricio Garcia Dotto
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
cadernos espinosanos/cadernos espinosanos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2447-9012
pISSN - 1413-6651
DOI - 10.11606/issn.2447-9012.espinosa.2019.149491
Subject(s) - metaphysics , philosophy , conflation , epistemology , subject (documents) , theme (computing) , computer science , library science , operating system
This paper compares and contrasts two philosophical concepts that stem from different lineages of thought: on the one hand, Lucretius’ clinamen; on the other, Spinoza’s conatus. What has motivated my research for this paper is a conflation between these two notions as suggested by Deleuze in the appendix to his Logique du sens. In this regard, the first section is oriented towards an elucidation of Lucretius’ philosophy – consequently, of Epicurus’ as well –and, specifically, of his view about the swerve of atoms, or clinamen, combined with the subject of freedom. The second section is dedicated to clarifying Spinoza’s metaphysics and the accommodation of the theme of freedom within his robust necessitarian framework, interwoven with the motif of conatus, or self-preserving striving. Against Deleuze’s reading, however, I argue that clinamen and conatus belong to metaphysical systems that are quite incompatible and that they support different understandings of both freedom and necessity.