Spinoza on Melancholy and Cheerfulness

Abstract Spinoza's philosophy is often celebrated for its strong anti-normative current. Spinoza argues, instance, that good and bad do not indicate anything positive in things, affects are always particular to the situation which they arise. And yet argues melancholy “always evil,” cheerfulness good,” thus problematizing a key metaphysical principle of his system. Turning select sections Ethics Theological-Political Treatise , this article offers reading these two problematic before connecting recent work on early modern conceptualizes it as an ‘assemblage.’