Margaret the First

21 March 2024

Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle in the 17th century, was a fascinating polymath. And she had a radical idea about the universe: everything in it thinks. Amoebas, rocks, trees, dust—you name it, it's cogitating.

To see how original an idea this was, consider the view of her contemporary, René Descartes. For Descartes, souls think but don't move; bodies move but don't think; so there's no such thing as a thinking rock. Cavendish's view was dramatically different: "whatsoever is not material," she said, "is no part of nature.” In other words, there's only one kind of thing, namely matter; and matter is intelligent, sensitive, even rational.

To be fair, it may seem like a strange idea to claim that my coffee cup is rational. Sure, it's holding my coffee, and I can't do that by myself (if I could, I wouldn't need the cup). But surely it's only doing that because I made it: I poured the coffee in there, and I can pour it out again.

Cavendish has an intriguing answer to this, though. For her, the mug is deciding to stay there and hold the coffee, and it’s deciding to move to my mouth when I drink. I can’t move things; they have to move themselves. It's almost as if the mug, in the words of psychotherapy, has to "want to change."

This hints at what may be a radical vision of equality in Cavendish's picture of the world. We human beings like to think of ourselves as superior to other kinds of being—ordering our coffee mugs about—but this is just an illusion caused by arrogance: human beings, writes Cavendish, “would fain be supreme, and above all other creatures.” In reality, we are no better or worse than the rest of matter in the universe. “I cannot perceive more abilities in man than in the rest of natural creatures," Cavendish adds, "for though he can build a stately house, yet he cannot make a honeycomb.”

So we shouldn't feel superior to our coffee mugs. We definitely shouldn't feel superior to ants and bees. And above all, men should not feel superior to women. 

Cavendish had a lot to tell her contemporaries about this topic. She saw men treating women as inferior beings, capable only of doing housework and being pretty ornaments: “we are kept like birds in cages, to hop up and down in our houses.” And she saw many women internalizing the prejudice: when men "thin[k] it impossible we should have either learning or understanding, wit or judgement, as if we had not rational souls as well as men," she said, "we out of a custom of dejectednesse think so too, which makes us quit all industry towards profitable knowledge being imployed onely in loose, and pettie imployments.”

There's a vicious circle here: men's belief that women aren't cut out for intellectual pursuits leads women not to engage in them, spending their time on domestic work instead—and this confirms men in their prejudice that domestic work is all women are good for. How can we break the cycle?

We'll hear the answer from our guest, Karen Detlefsen, Professor of Philosophy and Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Comments (4)


zoedylan's picture

zoedylan

Sunday, November 10, 2024 -- 11:28 PM

Great article! I love how you

Great article! I love how you highlighted Margaret Cavendish's unique ideas about the universe and equality. Her view that everything, even a coffee mug, has its own kind of thinking is fascinating. It’s also powerful how she challenged ideas about women's roles. Really thought-provoking read!

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lawrence2's picture

lawrence2

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 -- 8:18 PM

The paper explores strategies

The paper explores strategies that can be effective in breaking the cycle of gender bias that Cavendish describes, where women’s perceived limitations in intellectual pursuits are reinforced by societal expectations and beliefs.

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kennthkane's picture

kennthkane

Friday, December 27, 2024 -- 8:03 AM

Margaret the First offers a

Margaret the First offers a captivating glimpse into the life of Margaret Cavendish, blending historical insight with literary charm. I came across something called the new Happy Juice for kids and was curious if anyone has tried it yet. Does it really help with focus or energy for children? I want to know how it operates and whether it is something to think about. I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who has used it or is more knowledgeable about its advantages. Is it safe and effective, or should I look into other options? Any experiences or advice would be really helpful as I try to make an informed decision.

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MarjoryRosenbaum's picture

MarjoryRosenbaum

Monday, January 20, 2025 -- 4:24 AM

In addition, if you want to

In addition, if you want to participate in interesting games to practice logical thinking, merge fruit is a great choice. There will be many different levels, the level will also increase gradually according to the level you play.

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