OZR back-up mandate: Writing about religion to talk about politics. Adriaan Koerbagh (1632/3 - 1669), a theological-political philosopher in Spinoza’s circle.

Adriaan Koerbagh (Amsterdam 1632/3-Amsterdam 1669) had been one of the most important, original and influential philosophers in Spinoza’s circle during the Dutch Golden Age. He expressed his thought picking up elements from philosophers such as Hobbes and de Groot, and melting them with a strong political laicism on the one hand, and an almost total adherence to Socinianism on the other. After his graduations in Philosophy, Medicine and Law, in 1664 he
began to publish his works: a theological-political pamphlet and a legal dictionary in 1664; a dictionary of knowledge and a philosophical treatise in 1668. These works are linked by a common purpose. As he expressed in the introductions of his first and last works, his thought is an "antidotum" addressed to Dutch secular governments and people against the political power of the Churches. What we intend to do in this project has a twofold purpose: first of all,
to analyse the thought of a philosopher so important and influential
for Spinoza and his circle, and the internal links between his works; secondly, to show the mutual influence between Koerbagh’Spinoza’s thoughts. Because nowadays Koerbagh is less known than other members of the circle – even though his strong collaboration and friendship with Spinoza – the reading and analysis of his works is the most important part of the project. In fact, the aim proposed is to analyse Koerbagh’s philosophy, purposes and mutual influences
with the circle through his own works.