The Influence of Spinoza's Concept of the Multitude on Debates about Populism and Representation in Democracies

In our view, the interests and problems of the present are the criteria for organizing our encounter with the ideas of the philosophers of the past. We will thus turn to Spinoza's works interested in reflecting on the present. This does not mean that we will merely use his ideas to support views that we have already defined and settled. Instead, we will listen to him in his own voice; that is how he can help us think about our present. Which paths Spinoza research will take in the coming years depends on what we think our present interests and problems are, since the present opens the door to the immediate future.