350 Years of Spinoza’s Ethics

In 1675, the philosopher Spinoza completed his magnum opus, Ethics, in the attic room of his house on Paviljoensgracht in The Hague. Three and a half centuries later, we are celebrating this monument to Western philosophy at the church where Spinoza was buried in 1677: the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague.

Well-known actors Anna Drijver and Bert Luppes will bring the five parts of Ethics to life in an inspiring theatrical dialogue that is philosophical, witty, astute and moving. Spinoza’s ideas about the divine, love, freedom and the power of reason sound surprisingly relevant today.

Baroque violinist Antoinette Lohmann, lutenist Israel Golani, and organist Gijsbert Kok bring compositions from Spinoza’s time into dialogue with his timeless ideas. The historic 1703 church organ plays a starring role. As a tribute to Spinoza’s work as a lens grinder, monumental glass objects by artist Bert Frijns will be on display on the stage.

About the Ethics

In his Ethics, Spinoza developed a revolutionary vision of politics, morality, God, humanity and the all-encompassing nature of existence. Spinoza teaches us that reason enables us to master our emotions and that, by understanding cause and effect, reason can lead to spiritual freedom, and ultimately to individual and collective happiness.

A captivating performance in which theatre, music and visual art reinforce one another.