Ius sive Potentia: Paul and Spinoza

Abstract

This article is a part of a research project entitled Law as Potency, that, broadly put, investigates the relation between law and ontology. I argue, starting from St. Paul, that an ontological perspective can be understood as the possibility of justice, in a sense of a liberation of the human being. Thus, this paper offers an analysis of the concepts of potency and universality. Even though the term ‘universalism’ is not explicitly mentioned, it is present in St. Paul’s thinking and brought onto its practical consequences. In addition, Spinoza’s reading of St. Paul opens up a possibility to challenge this concept to a concept of modern teleology. Therefore, I discuss the consequences of this confrontation in regard to law, politics and economics. This leads to an articulation of another modernity, where, perhaps, the universal appears as the affirmation of difference.