The Best Translation of Ethics
Ethics was written in Latin. 2 recommended editions, ranked — with Gröblé’s verdict on which to read first.
Edwin Curley
Penguin Classics · 1996 · 208 pages
Edwin Curley is the leading English Spinoza translator, and his Penguin handles the geometric proofs (definitions, axioms, propositions, demonstrations) with unusual clarity. Doesn't soften how hard the book is, just makes the structure visible.
Every recommended edition, compared
Samuel Shirley
Hackett Publishing · 1992
Samuel Shirley's Hackett is more literal than Curley and bundles Spinoza's letters and political writings alongside the Ethics. Better if you want to follow the Latin vocabulary closely or see the larger system around the proofs.
Please support us by purchasing through these links, at no extra cost to you!
Reading Ethics in translation
Ethics was written in Latin, so unless you read Latin, the translator decides the book you actually experience — its register, its pace, how it sounds read aloud. Two editions of the same work can feel like different books.
The ranking above is Gröblé’s: one reader’s verdict on which English gets you closest, not a publisher’s blurb. Start with the top pick; reach for the others when you want a different angle on the original.