Spinoza

Berthold Auerbach (1812-1882) was a German-Jewish poet and author, considered the founder of the German "tendency novel," which uses fiction as a means of influencing the public about social, political, moral, and religious issues. His novel about the Dutch philosopher Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677), chronicles his development from rabbinical student to one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy.