The Search for Mind–Body Flourishing in Spinoza’s Eudaimonism (New Research in the History of Western Philosophy, 15)

Book info: The Search for Mind–Body Flourishing in Spinoza’s Eudaimonism (New Research in the History of Western Philosophy, 15) (Hardcover, 224 pages) – Brill, 2025. Language: English.

This book explores the ethical tradition of eudaimonism, which considers happiness or flourishing as (a) partly objective or naturalistic, (b) partly subjective or affective, (c) structurally stable, and (d) the highest good. It examines the insights of Aristotle, Epicurus, the Stoics, and Spinoza concerning the respective roles of pleasure, virtue, and mind and body in living an eudaimonistically happy life. Spinoza offers an especially rich account of happiness, in opposition to the intellectualism of his fellow eudaimonists, through his argument for non-reductive mind-body identity, which entails that flourishing is equally intellectual and physical in nature. Editorial Reviews About the Author Brandon Smith, Ph.D. (2024), is a Fonds de recherche du Québec postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Institute for Research in the Humanities. He has published several articles on Spinoza’s moral philosophy and engagement with ancient eudaimonism, most notably "Spinoza’s Strong Eudaimonism" in the Journal of Modern Philosophy.