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Although his interest in philosophy is relatively recent, Maryville College graduate W. Austin Newsom has been a “history buff” for as long as he can remember.

So when the time came to select a Senior Study topic, Newsom's thoughts immediately turned to 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

Since his first exposure to Spinoza's metaphysics in a sophomore philosophy class, Newsom said he's thought the philosopher was a thinker ahead of his time. Spinoza stressed intellectual independence and followed his arguments to their logical conclusions, he said.

After discovering Spinoza also completed work in political philosophy, which is Newsom's area of specialization, the recent MC graduate sought more writings on the topic.

Maryville College Professor of Philosophy Dr. Bill Meyer, who also served as Newsom's Senior Study advisor, thought his advisee's idea to study Spinoza's political philosophy was excellent.

Newsom analyzed several of Spinoza's works in his 79-page study and focused on the philosopher's intellectual influences, background, naturalistic metaphysical theory and conception of human nature.

“By doing so, the pragmatic consequentialism prevalent in Spinoza's politics is revealed and [he] is redefined as a philosopher whose actual political thought is quite distinct from its depiction in much of the recent literature as a principles-based championing of liberal democracy,” Newsom concluded in his study. Pragmatic consequentialism refers to the practical point of view that the morality of human actions is determined by their consequences.

Newsom suggested that Spinoza was more concerned with the judicious distribution and use of power in society than in natural rights or liberty.

Meyer was so impressed with Newsom's study that he recommended it for the college's permanent library collection. “His research was very thorough, and his writing was clear, detailed and well reasoned. Most of all, he offered new and persuasive ideas about how to interpret Spinoza's political philosophy,” Meyer said. “It was an outstanding thesis worthy of being publicly presented—either at a conference or in print or both.”