Abstract

This essay presents Mendelssohn’s neglected vindication of theism through a refutation of Spinoza’s philosophy in the Morgenstunden and highlights its relevance for discussions in contemporary philosophy of religion. For this purpose, I (i) contextualise Mendelssohn's argument within the reception of Spinoza at the dawn of the 18th century, (ii) trace the path of Mendelssohn's argument to theism, (iii) and examine Mendelssohn's argument in light of Linda Zagzebski's account of divine omniscience showing that her account is not only incoherent but also undermines the theistic assumption that the world has an existence outside of God.