module

Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL2127: Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy

This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.

Overview

If you’ve studied even a little bit of early modern philosophy, you could be forgiven for thinking that traditionally philosophy was only practiced by wealthy white men. This couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, the early modern period is significant for its high levels of philosophical activity, and diversity of philosophical thought. However, the tendency to focus on the work of the ‘Canonical Seven’, Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume and Kant, has led to the marginalisation of many philosophers of the period. This module begins to redress this imbalance by showcasing the writings of some of the women and other minority philosophers who were silenced by the philosophical canon. We shall explore topics such as metaphysics, epistemology, morality, and feminism through the writings of philosophers such as Anne Conway, Margaret Cavendish, Damaris Cudworth Masham and Mary Astell—the hidden voices of early modern philosophy.