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Rating: 
Summary: Amazing Book; Terrible Translation
Review: (Because this is not the proper mode of address for certain academic debates on this matter, I am witholding identifying information.)Spinoza is an amazing philosopher (to my mind, the most dazzling and substantial of them all), but if you can't read Latin, you're pretty much stuck with a handful of bad translations of his works. Curley's translations are *perhaps* less idiosyncratic than some of the other translations. However, there are some MAJOR defects in Curley's translation. The first involves Curley's scholarship and the fact that he reads Spinoza as a Cartesian (or, at any rate, as a mere footnote to Descartes). This couldn't be further from the truth since Spinoza presents a devastating criticism of the rationalist project at every juncture in his works. Consequently, Curley's translation is based on a distorted picture of the meanings of the terms Spinoza employs. Second, while I can't question Curley's abilities in Latin, I do question many of his translation choices. I'll give one GLARING example of the kinds of choices that distort Spinoza's meaning even insofar as a simple matter of grammar. Curley translates "ideatum" as "object" in many cases. Now, "ideatum" is daitive form of "ideam" [trans. = "idea"]; so how is that supposed to be an "object?" (I.e., Curley's translation implies a subject/object dichotmoy which Spinoza completely rejects in his rejection of the Catesian project.) This is such a misleading way to translate a fundamental term, that I wonder whether it's due simply to Curley's Cartesian blindness or whether it might simply involve a personal animosity towards Spinoza. Unfortunately, Curley's translation is THE current critical English edition of Spinoza. It will be years before another edition is "warranted." Until then, Curley's will suffice only if supplemented with another translation (Shirley's translations are probably less bad than the others) or, better yet, with the Latin itself. Until Curley's translation of the TTP (and other later works) is released, Shirley's translation of that is the only acceptable alternative to the Latin -- once Curley's translation is released, it will undoubtely become the standard translation for that as well, wehther it is in fact better or worse than Shirley's.
Rating: 
Summary: The Standard
Review: I have read a number of translations of the "Ethics", and this is the best by far. It is lucid, clear, and sensitive to the meaning of its Latin-Dutch terms. Curley is an outstanding Spinoza scholar, and he brings his expertise to the fore, not only in his readable English, but also in the helpful footnotes with which he punctuates Spinoza's text.The price is steep, but well worth it for what is the standard for Spinoza scholarship. The text includes not only the "Ethics," but also his earlier works and letters. If you hesitate at the price, and all you want is the "Ethics," then get the considerably less expensive Curley translation of that work. I wait for the release (will it ever?) of the second volume of Curley's work on Spinoza's texts, especially his translation of and commentary on the Theological-Political Treatise.
Rating:
Summary: Best translation for all who study Spinoza
Review: This book is the best translation for the research of Spinoza. It provides nearly all what you want. The translation is faithfully based on the Latin version and the terms are delt with very carfully. But the pity is that I have expected the volume II from 1985, but it had not publish untill now. I hope Curley works on his translation, and see the volume II as soon as possible
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