The Metaphysics of Margaret Cavendish and Anne Conway - Monism, Vitalism, and Self-Motion

Women have engaged in philosophical discourse since antiquity, but most of these women''s voices were lost or intentionally excluded. In The Metaphysics of Margaret Cavendish and Anne Conway, Marcy P. Lascano recovers the important philosophical contributions of two early modern women. The book compares the two thinkers, paying close attention to their views on metaphysical topics such as substance, monism, self-motion, individuation, and identity over time, as well as causation, perception, and freedom. Drawing on their original writing and engaging with existing scholarship, Lascano presents the first comparison of Cavendish and Conway. In turn, she enlarges our view of these thinkers and their unique ways of understanding the world arounds us.