Title: “The Problem of Identity in Spinoza's Philosophy: Ingenium, Essence, Individuation".
Abstract:
The ingenium is part of a constellation of concepts that enable Spinoza to develop a conception of the singular. It refers to the unique affective constitution of a person or a people and is thought in relation to the concepts of the individual and essence. The concept of ingenium allows us to conceive of a process of affective individuation that distinguishes one person—or one people—from another. But how can we think of the consistency of the identity of a person or a people when they can change over time? Our affects seem to express our identity, but they can also challenge its coherence under certain circumstances. Besides, in politics, are the most difficult historical periods overcome by the coherence of shared affects, or are those common affects distorted in such a way that collective identity becomes strained?
