B. Spinoza’s philosophy of education and its modern interpretations

Abstract

The proposed article presents a study of B. Spinoza's philosophy of education and its modern interpretations, which are relevant both from a scientific and socio-humanitarian point of view, since they propose principles of education based on rational cognition, freedom of thought and moral development. It is shown that the idea of education being based on rational thinking is relevant for modern cognitive sciences that study how knowledge and critical thinking are formed. It is considered that Spinoza's naturalistic understanding of man correlates with modern neuroscience and behavioral biology. His ideas resonate with research on the influence of emotions, reason, and environment on learning. It is proven that the actualization of the need for logic and the deductive method of learning by Spinoza and his followers is reflected in modern methods of STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).
The study of Spinoza's philosophy of education required a comprehensive approach: a combination of historical, epistemological analysis, logical reconstruction of his system, hermeneutics of texts, and comparison with other educational concepts. This allowed us to fully reveal his ideas and understand their relevance for modern philosophy of education.
Based on the presented research, it can be stated that Spinoza's ideas are popular in modern pedagogy, psychology, and social and human sciences, especially in the context of the formation of a responsible civil society. The harmony of modern principles of democratization of education and academic freedom with the denial of dogmatism and the violent imposition of thoughts by the Dutch thinker is shown. The importance of Spinozist analysis of affects and their role in cognition for modern philosophy of education and emotional intelligence is revealed.