Canceling Spinoza
Tue, 9/3 · 7:30 pm—9:30 pm · Betts Auditorium
David Ofek, film director; Yitzhak Melamed, Johns Hopkins University
Attend a screening and discussion of the documentary on Tuesday, September 3.Film synopsis: The excommunication of Baruch Spinoza, the Dutch Jewish philosopher who revolutionized modern thought, is a formative, mysterious event in the understanding of his work. Director David Ofek takes us on an intercontinental journey tracing six reasons for Spinoza’s excommunication. Between Amsterdam, The Hague, New York, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv, he makes some surprising discoveries, and traces the figure of a man who continues to intrigue our culture with his ideas, which remain revolutionary, spiritual, and radical to this day.
Princeton faculty Daniel Garber, the A. Watson J. Armour III University Professor of Philosophy, and Leora Batnitzky, the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion, will give an introduction. Post-screening discussants include David Ofek, the film’s director, and Yitzhak Melamed, the Charlotte Bloomberg Professor of the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University.
View the film trailer .
Open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by the University Center for Human Values’ Film Forum, the Department of Philosophy, and the Program in Judaic Studies.
