Heretics!

Heretics! The Wondrous Beginnings of Modern Philosophy by Steven Nadler and Ben Nadler is a compelling and beautifully illustrated graphic narrative that brings the revolutionary thinkers of the seventeenth century to vivid, irreverent life.

About the Book

Steven Nadler is one of the foremost historians of early modern philosophy, best known for his magisterial biography of Spinoza. His collaboration with his son Ben—a cartoonist—produces something genuinely unexpected: a graphic work that manages to be both intellectually serious and enormously entertaining. The book traces the great debates of seventeenth-century philosophy through the lives and arguments of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, and their contemporaries, presenting these figures not as marble busts in a history of ideas but as passionate, quarrelsome human beings arguing about matters of life, death, and meaning.

Ben Nadler’s artwork is expressive and witty, perfectly calibrated to the material. The visual format turns out to be ideally suited to philosophical dialogue—arguments that might be dry in prose become animated confrontations on the page, and the cartoonish register allows the Nadlers to take interpretive liberties that a traditional scholarly text could not. The result is a book that works both as an introduction to early modern philosophy for newcomers and as a pleasure for those already familiar with the material.

The book covers the major themes of the period—the relationship between reason and faith, the nature of substance and causality, the foundations of political authority—without ever becoming a textbook. Each chapter focuses on a specific debate or encounter, grounding abstract ideas in human drama. The treatment of Spinoza, in particular, captures why this most radical of early modern thinkers remains so compelling and controversial.

What Makes It a Meridian Award Winner

Heretics! demonstrates that serious philosophical ideas can be communicated through popular, visual storytelling without losing their substance. The Nadlers have produced a work that is simultaneously a contribution to public understanding of philosophy and a genuine artistic achievement. In an era when the humanities struggle to find new audiences, this book points toward exciting possibilities for how philosophical ideas can be shared. The Meridian Award recognizes works that expand what nonfiction can do, and Heretics! does exactly that.

Who Should Read This

This book is ideal for readers curious about philosophy who find traditional academic writing intimidating, and equally rewarding for those already versed in early modern thought who want a fresh perspective on familiar figures. It is a genuine family book in the best sense—accessible to high school students and intellectually engaging for professional philosophers. Fans of philosophy graphic works like Logicomix or Socrates in Love will find it a worthy companion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Heretics! worth reading?

Absolutely. Heretics! accomplishes the rare feat of making seventeenth-century philosophy genuinely fun while never sacrificing intellectual seriousness. The collaboration between a distinguished philosopher and a skilled cartoonist produces something neither could have achieved alone—a book that is accessible, accurate, beautifully drawn, and full of genuine insight. It belongs on any philosophy reader’s shelf.

What genre is Heretics?

Heretics! is a philosophical graphic nonfiction work, a hybrid of history of philosophy, biography, and sequential art. It is best understood as illustrated intellectual history—a work that uses the visual language of comics to explore the ideas and debates of the early modern period. It sits in a growing tradition of serious nonfiction graphic works.