Benedict de Spinoza (1632-77) was the father of the Enlightenment, a developer of highly influential philosophical theories and the last sad guardian of the medieval world. He attempted to reconcile the conflicting moral and intellectual demands of his epoch, and to present a vision of humanity as being simultaneously bound by necessity and eternally free. Written in a way that is accessible and not overwhelming, Roger Scruton shows the relevance of Spinoza's thought to today's intellectual preoccupations.