Steven is the Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Director of the Institute for Research in the Humanities at UW-Madison. He specializes in 17th century philosophy with a focus on Spinoza, Descartes, and Leibniz.

His books include:

Spinoza: A Life (1999)

Rembrandt’s Jews (2003)

The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Story of Philosophers, God, and Evil (2008)

The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes (2013)

Why Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves (2021), co-authored with Larry Shapiro

He has two forthcoming books in 2026:

Why Read Maimonides Today?

Spinoza, Atheist

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This clip was posted on November 5, 2025 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_1933: https://youtu.be/qIqBMROrM7I

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Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense. 

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