An Ethics for Marxism: Spinoza on Fortitude

The radical implication of Spinoza's well-known formula, "The natural right of each person extends as far as his or her desire and power," is that we always have the right to resist oppression so long as we have the power and desire to do so. But what underlies such resistance? Perhaps even more important, what best sustains resistance over the long run? Spinoza argued that both indignation and the pursuit of glory, which are "affects of resistance," have disadvantages: indignation is a sad passion, and glory fluctuates between a joyous passion and an active affect. They are unstable and unreliable affective means to the end of liberation. How then to reorient and stabilize resistance to oppression in terms of what Spinoza called the joyous "active affects" of fortitude, courage, and generosity? This essay outlines conceptual resources for a Marxist theory of ethical strength to persevere in social and political struggles.