Spinoza's Critique of Religion By Leo Strauss University Of Chicago Press, (1997) ISBN-10: 0226776883 ISBN-13: 978-0226776880

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - April 1, 2010

There is a single idea held by the thinkers that Leo Strauss discusses in this perceptive book. Each recognized that the general population turned to religion because they were searching a life that is devoid of anxiety and pain, a metaphorical return to the Garden of Eden. Each recognized that people may think that religion removes these burdens, but by turning to religion, they moved from the kettle into the fire, for religion encumbers people with a host of responsibilities and bother.

These thinkers were correct in stating that religion adds responsibilities, but they were wrong in saying that humans have a right to a tranquil life. They did not see that the tranquil life they sought is the non-human vegetative life of a plant or animal. They failed to understand what the great Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) taught – that humans were created with a mind and have a duty to develop it to improve themselves and society. This task is not easy. It is difficult and burdensome. It requires constant, even daily effort. But it is the human thing to do.

Religion can be an opiate, as Karl Marx (1818–1883) wrote. It can conceal concerns and fears, as Epicurus said. However, if a religion does so it is wrong. If, on the other hand, religion is practiced in a way that creates challenges that stimulate an individual to improve, then it is a proper guide.

Strauss' book is good because it turns our minds to the difference between passively seeking tranquility in religion or actively looking to improve ourselves and society.

• Maimonides, Spinoza and Us: Toward an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism, by Rabbi Marc D. Angel.
  This is an important book for people who want to understand the truth of Judaism, rather than the obscurantist notion that Jews must accept the views of authorities without asking questions.
  
  
• The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage, by Edward Hoffman.
  This book offers an accessible introduction to the life and wisdom of the famous twelfth-century philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides, along with a psychological analysis of Maimonides.