Spinozism, Kabbalism, and Idealism from Johann Georg Wachter to Moses Mendelssohn

The paper studies the historical background for ‘idealist’ reading of Spinoza usually traced back to British and German Idealism. Here, I follow this history further than focus on one earlier idealist reading, indeed perhaps mother them all. It can be found in Elucidarius cabalisticus, sive reconditae Hebraeorum philosophiae brevis et succincta recensio by Johann Georg Wachter, a kabbalist interpretation published 1706. am principally interested importance that Wachter’s book may have had philosophy second half eighteenth century. Focusing Moses Mendelssohn’s Philosophische Gespräche 1755, argue that, via Mendelssohn, Elucidarius cabalisticus is earliest possible source dominated Spinozabild from throughout Pantheismusstreit up edition Herder’s 1800 Gott: Einige Gespräche, culminating with Hegel’s ‘acosmist’ 1825–26 lectures philosophy.