Spinoza: a hidden source of French Epistemology

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25284006
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Osamu Ueno 大阪大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (10184946)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Komemushi Masami 関西学院大学, 文学部, 教授 (10283706) ; Kondo Kazunori 鹿児島大学, 法文学部, 准教授 (90608572)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: スピノザ / エピステモロジー / 現代フランス哲学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A search for the hidden source of the French Spinoza Renaissance in late 60’s. The research revealed that this movement can be traced back to J. Cavailles, an epistemologist of mathematics, praised by G. Canguilhem for his unwavering Spinozism during the Resistance. This image of Spinoza associated with his “philosophy of concept” opposing to phenomenology and existentialism at the time, came down to the Epistemology Circle formed in 66 under the strong influence of L. Althusser and J. Lacan, who were also admirers of Spinoza. The research shows how the magic password of Spinoza animated Le Cahiers pour l’analyse published by the Circle in the late 60’s in the aim of epistemological studies in various theories, science, psychoanalysis, mathematics, etc.

Free Research Field

哲学