Dear all, This is a reminder that we are welcoming Jacqueline Broad tomorrow on the topic: "Cartesian Feminism in the Seventeenth Century: François Poulain de la Barre and Mary Astell". You are all very welcome, as always.
Abstract: This paper will discuss the impact of Cartesian epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical ideas on the feminist arguments of François Poulain de la Barre (1647–1723) and Mary Astell (1666-1731). In the scholarly literature to date, it is a common view that Descartes' method of doubt and his concept of the thinking self provided significant inspiration for early modern feminists. On the one hand, it is said, his radical method led these early feminists to challenge male authority, prejudice, and custom; on the other, his metaphysics of the self seemingly leant support to the idea that the human mind 'has no sex'. In this discussion, however, I propose to highlight other influential aspects of Cartesian philosophy for feminist thought, such as Descartes' views concerning freedom, error, and judgment, his philosophy of the passions, and his ethical ideas concerning virtue. I will argue that it is an over-simplification to say that Poulain and Astell's core feminist insights owe their origins to the Cartesian method of doubt or to the idea that 'the mind has no sex'. About the speaker: Dr. Jacqui Broad is an Associate Professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow at Monash University. Shespecializes in early modern philosophy (c. 1650-1750), with a particular focus on women philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. She is author of several seminal books on the topic, including: The Philosophy of Mary Astell: An Early Modern Theory of Virtue (OUP, 2015); Women Philosophers of the Seventeenth Century (CUP, 2002); A History of Women’s Political Thought in Europe, 1400-1700 (with Karen Green; CUP, 2009), and a modern edition of Astell’s The Christian Religion (CRRS & Iter, 2013). She is currently organising the 16th Symposium of the International Association of Women Philosophers (IAPh), to be held at Monash Caulfield, Melbourne, 7-10 July 2016. About the venue: The Barbara White Room is wheelchair accessible, either from Newnham Walk or from Fawcett car park (nr. 12 on the map http://www.newn.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/college_map_08-6.pdf), with no steps but a few doors that need to be opened manually. There is padded seating. There is blue badge parking nearby, at Sidgwick site opposite the porter's lodge, which is accessed by three steps. Parking can be reserved at Newnham Walk by request in advance. A hearing loop can be arranged by request in advance. There is a gender neutral accessible toilet in a separate part of the buiding, but no other gender neutral toilets. There is no bsl interpreter, or a designated quiet space. You can contact us about access on [email protected] Best wishes, Ellisif and Magali _____________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from the CamPhilEvents mailing list, or change your membership options, please visit the list information page: http://bit.ly/CamPhilEvents List archive: http://bit.ly/CamPhilEventsArchive Please note that CamPhilEvents doesn't accept email attachments. See the list information page for further details and suggested alternatives.
