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This paper offers an interpretation of Spinoza's theory of ideas as a theory of power. The consideration of ideas in terms of force and vitality figures ideology critique as a struggle within the power of thought to give life support to some ideas, while starving others. Because ideas, considered absolutely on Spinoza's terms, are indifferent to human flourishing, they survive, thrive, or atrophy on the basis of their relationship to ambient ideas. Thus, the effort to think and live well requires attention to the collective dimensions of thinking life, where "collective" refers to a transpersonal accumulation of ideal power that includes human as well as nonhuman beings. Because it is a matter of force and power rather than truth and falsity, the project of thinking otherwise entails an effort to displace and to reorganize ideas that is best undertaken by coordinating and galvanizing many thinking powers.

Se exponen los motivos ideológicos del ataque de Carl Schmitt contra la filosofía política moderna, particularmente contra Baruch de Spinoza, a partir de la respuesta que éste elaboró frente a Thomas Hobbes en el siglo XVII. El objetivo del trabajo consiste en restaurar la potencia liberal-democrática del pensamiento de Spinoza y de la filosofía política moderna, frente a las pretensiones de la teología política. The ideological reasons Carl Schmitt exhibited for his attack against Baruch de Spinoza, and generally against all modern political philosophy, are presented in this work in the context of the answer Spinoza gave to Thomas Hobbes in the 17th century. This work wants to restore the liberal-democratic strength of Spinoza's thought and of modern political philosophy, against the claims of political theology.

Seventeenth-century Holland was a culture divided. Orthodox Calvinists, loyal to both scholastic philosophy and the quasi-monarchical House of Orange, saw their world turned upside down with the sudden death of Prince William II and no heir to take his place. The Republicans seized this opportunity to create a decentralized government favourable to Holland''s trading interests and committed to religious and philosophical tolerance. The now ruling regent class, freshly trained in the new philosophy of Descartes, used it as a weapon to fight against monarchical tendencies and theological orthodo