wrrrk"Thus the paradox in Spinoza is that he’s the most philosophical of philosophers, the purest in some sense, but also the one who more than any other addresses nonphilosophers and calls forth the most intense nonphilosophical understanding. This is why absolutely anyone can read Spinoza, and be very moved, or see things quite differently afterward, even if they can hardly understand Spinoza’s concepts. Conversely, a historian of philosophy who understands only Spinoza’s concepts doesn’t fully understand him. We need both wings, as Jaspers would say, just to carry us, philosophers and nonphilosophers, toward the same final point. And it takes all three wings, nothing less, to form a style, a bird of fire." Deleuze, Gilles. “Letter to Reda Bensmaia, on Spinoza.” In Negotiations: 1972 - 1990, by Gilles Deleuze. Translated by Martin Joughin. European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism. Columbia University Press. Columbia University Press. Ebook. 220.
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