Abstract

I focus on the value of agreement and cooperation in Spinoza, over and above both conflict and uniformity. A well-ordered society favors the empowerment of humans who, together, form a power greater than that of any single person. For Nietzsche, the role of physiology is to evaluate peoples and individuals and, in accordance with these findings, it must show us how to breed or cultivate humankind as a whole. Physiology plays a privileged role in Nietzsche’s analysis of institutions, and the beneficial or harmful role they can play in promoting growth. Nietzsche is highly critical of Spinoza because he believes that the Dutch thinker ignores the perils of democracy and of the pursuit of the common good.