SPINOZA, LIBERALISM AND 'THE CLASS OF 1632'

Spinoza, Pufendorf and Locke all championed freedom of thought (including freedom of religion) and of speech; all three thinkers deserve credit for having forged the fundamental principles of the liberal tradition. Spinoza, in particular, was the first writer in modern times to articulate a systematic defence of democracy. He believed that the state should promote the welfare of its citizens, while maximising their free-dom. Although he equated right with power, he also advocated respect for the moral law, stressing the impor-tance of being good to other people.