Introduction: Moving Past Familiar Narratives

In the ongoing narrative of modern philosophy, a handful of names—Kant, Hume, Descartes, and notably Nietzsche—dominate discourse and syllabi. While their contributions are undisputed, this keen focus often obscures the remarkably rich philosophical landscape that flourished alongside and beyond these figures—particularly the innovative work of early modern women philosophers. As contemporary philosophy grapples with bold new ideas, debates about identity, existence, and epistemology are increasingly indebted to thinkers who were, for centuries, overlooked or marginalized.

The time has come to move beyond Nietzsche—both in the sense of progressing past 19th-century frameworks and in the literal expansion of our philosophical canon. In this blog post, we will traverse the intellectual terrain shaped by pioneering women philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries, exploring how their ideas resonate within and shape today's most pressing philosophical conversations. Our aim is not merely to recover lost voices, but to demonstrate how early modern women’s thought actively informs, challenges, and enriches contemporary philosophy.

Main Research: Rediscovering the Bold Ideas of Early Modern Women Philosophers

The Hidden Architects of Modern Thought

For generations, the history of philosophy has been constructed as a lineage from Plato to Nietzsche (and beyond), often sidelining women philosophers whose works were widely read and deeply influential in their own time. Figures such as Margaret Cavendish, Mary Astell, Émilie Du Châtelet, Anne Conway, and Damaris Masham were substantial contributors, engaging with, and often critiquing, their male counterparts.

These thinkers pioneered bold positions on metaphysics, epistemology, political philosophy, and proto-feminist critiques—ideas that contemporary philosophy is only now beginning to fully appreciate. For example, Anne Conway’s monism anticipated later debates on the mind-body problem, while Du Châtelet’s work was vital in developing concepts of energy and causality that underpin modern physics and philosophy alike.

Challenging Dominant Epistemologies: From Experience to Embodiment

Early modern women philosophers not only contributed to, but often reimagined, the foundations of knowledge. Take Mary Astell, for instance, whose “A Serious Proposal to the Ladies” (1694) argued passionately for women’s education and intellectual development. For Astell, rational inquiry was not the exclusive domain of men; instead, she insisted that all human minds, regardless of gender, were equipped for philosophical reasoning.

This commitment to intellectual equality has become a touchstone in contemporary epistemology—especially in feminist theory, social epistemology, and debates over testimonial injustice. Modern scholars now draw upon Astell's insights to critically examine how institutions and power structures influence who is deemed a “knower.” The conversation about epistemic injustice and silencing, championed today by thinkers like Miranda Fricker, owes a profound debt to early modern women’s calls for recognition and intellectual agency.

Similarly, Margaret Cavendish broke ground with her unique materialist metaphysics. Cavendish rejected dualism and posited a universe of matter imbued with mental properties, thereby challenging Cartesian orthodoxy. Her materialist vision anticipated contemporary “embodied cognition” theories and critiques of mind-body dualism that feature centrally in today’s philosophy of mind debates.

Reframing Metaphysics and the Self

The bold metaphysical systems designed by women like Anne Conway and Damaris Masham continue to provoke modern debates about the nature of substance, identity, and consciousness.

Anne Conway’s Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy (1690) offered a unique take on monism, positing that all substances are fundamentally living and capable of transformation. Conway’s dynamic metaphysics not only critiqued Descartes’ mechanistic dualism but also harmonized spiritual and physical realms—an idea later echoed, albeit reframed, in process philosophy and certain strands of analytic metaphysics.

Meanwhile, Damaris Masham explicitly challenged the notion of pure rational autonomy advanced by Locke and others, foregrounding relationality and moral responsibility. Masham’s philosophical correspondence—especially with Leibniz and Locke—reflects a sophisticated analytic rigor, as she interrogated the limits of reason, the social embeddedness of the self, and the ethical implications of philosophical systems.

Today, leading discussions in the philosophy of mind and self—including phenomenological accounts of embodiment and relational ontology—draw inspiration from these early interventions. The rise of “philosophies of the self” that emphasize interdependence and intersectionality underlines the deep relevance of Masham, Conway, and their peers.

Pioneering Social and Political Philosophy

Early modern women philosophers were also radical architects of social and political theory. Mary Wollstonecraft, though straddling the late modern period, is perhaps the best-known. Yet philosophers like Elisabeth of Bohemia and Catherine Cockburn played significant roles in critiquing prevailing conceptions of personal liberty, authority, and justice.

Taking Elisabeth of Bohemia as an example, her correspondence with Descartes raised powerful questions about the applicability and coherence of mind-body dualism—especially in connection with women’s bodily experience. Meanwhile, Cockburn’s detailed critiques of Locke’s account of personal identity, freedom, and morality anticipated ongoing critical debates about autonomy, equality, and distributive justice.

The legacy of these ideas endures in contemporary feminist and political philosophy, where questions of equality, power, and personhood remain front and center. Modern theorists, such as Nancy Fraser and Seyla Benhabib, continue the critical tradition begun by these early philosophers, exploring the intersections of gender, power, and justice.

Contemporary Resonances: Why Early Modern Women Matter Now

As analytic and continental traditions wrestle with issues of identity, agency, and social justice, the once-sidelined writings of early modern women philosophers offer vital perspectives. Their willingness to challenge received dogmas, articulate alternative metaphysical frameworks, and demand a more inclusive conception of reason, knowledge, and society has profound implications for today's philosophers.

Notably, the resurgence of interest in these women’s works has shifted the boundaries of what counts as “canonical” philosophy. Curricular reforms, translation projects, and new scholarly editions are making these texts accessible to wider audiences. Beyond recovery, current philosophical inquiry is increasingly engaged in integration: placing early modern women’s ideas in direct dialogue with contemporary concerns, from the ethics of care to neurophilosophy and environmental ethics.

Conclusion: Enriching the Philosophical Canon – And the Future

To move beyond Nietzsche is not to dismiss the transformative power of the past’s “giants,” but to enrich our philosophical understanding by embracing a fuller, more inclusive canon. Early modern women philosophers are not merely historical curiosities; they are vital interlocutors whose ideas continue to shape the philosophical present and future.

By exploring their bold experiments in metaphysics, epistemology, moral, and political thought, we discover resources for rethinking some of the most vexing issues in contemporary philosophy. The courage and originality of thinkers like Cavendish, Astell, Conway, Masham, and others challenge us to question our assumptions, expand the boundaries of philosophical relevance, and create intellectual spaces where diverse voices can thrive.

This website, under the guidance of Professor Marcy P. Lascano, is dedicated to not only studying and appreciating these extraordinary thinkers but also to fostering new research and engagement with their inventive questions and answers. As we shape the next generation of philosophical inquiry, may we look beyond inherited narratives—remembering that the future of philosophy lies in dialogue with its truly diverse past.

Explore our curated articles, research projects, and educational resources to delve deeper into the legacies of early modern women philosophers and their ongoing impact on contemporary philosophy.