Teaching Margaret Cavendish’s Philosophy: Early Modern Women and the Question of Biography

Authors

Peter West, Northeastern University LondonFollow

Author Biography

I work in two areas of philosophy's history: Early Modern philosophy and Early Analytic Philosophy, focusing on topics in metaphysics and epistemology, and my work is underwritten by a commitment to expanding the 'canon.' I have published on Early Modern figures like Margaret Cavendish and Anton Wilhelm Amo. My Early Analytic work focuses on a generation of women at the dawn of the analytic movement, including Susan Stebbing, Dorothy Emmet, and Margaret Macdonald.

Abstract

In my contribution to this Concise Collection on Margaret Cavendish, I focus on teaching Cavendish’s work in the context of philosophy (and, more specifically, Early Modern Philosophy). I have three aims. First, to explain why teaching women from philosophy’s history is crucially important to the discipline. Second, to outline my own reflections on teaching Cavendish’s philosophy. Third, to defend a specific claim about the benefits of teaching Cavendish to philosophy students; namely, that introducing biographical detail alongside philosophical ideas enriches the learning experience.

Keywords

Cavendish, philosophy, pedagogy, women in philosophy

Recommended Citation

West, Peter (2024) "Teaching Margaret Cavendish’s Philosophy: Early Modern Women and the Question of Biography," ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640-1830: Vol.14: Iss.1, Article 7.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2157-7129.14.1.1345
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/abo/vol14/iss1/7