THE AUTHORITY OF THE POWER IN THE POLITICAL TREATY OF SPINOZA

In order to clarify the relationship between knowledge and power in Spinoza's Tractatus Politicus, we need to observe that the instance of knowledge independent of politic power disappears with the progressive dissolution of potestas and increases the instances of rational discussion. The instance of rational knowledge is necessary in the monarchy, as opposite to singular potestas (who easily is wrong), but it seems that it is diluted and shares when the potestas returns to the multitude across the aristocratic government. The unfinished Tractatus Politicus cannot show us the logic of the dissolution of reason's authority in the democratic regime, the absolute potestas.