Phil 30I W25 Lecture 5 [Autosaved]

INTRODUCTION TO EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY

• Course focus: Examination of key philosophers and their concepts.

• Context of discussions surrounding mind, body, and the nature of reality.

MARGARET CAVENDISH: AN OVERVIEW

Background

• Born: 1623; Died: 1673.

• Wealthy upbringing; largely self-educated.

• Served Queen Henrietta Maria from 1642 to 1660.

• Married William Cavendish, living in France and the Netherlands during the English Civil War.

• Published Works:

  • Poems and Fancies (1653)

  • Philosophical Fancies (1653)

  • Philosophical and Physical Opinions (1655)

  • Philosophical Letters (1664)

  • Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy (1666)

  • Grounds of Natural Philosophy (1668)

• 1667: First woman invited to observe experiments at the Royal Society.

CAVENDISH'S PHILOSOPHY

Key Concepts

1. Materialism:

   • All of nature is the same substance (matter).

   • Mind and human beings are material as well.

2. Vitalism:

   • Nature is alive and possesses degrees of sensation and thought.

3. Self-Motion:

   • Motion is inherent in all material things; self-caused, not externally imposed.

Comparison with Descartes

• Cavendish vs. Descartes:

  • Materialism (Cavendish): All entities are made of matter.

  • Dualism (Descartes): Mind (immaterial) and body (material) are distinct.

OPPOSITION TO MECHANISM

Mechanistic Accounts

• Cavendish criticizes mechanistic metaphysics that views matter as passive.

• Argues all material things are alive and interactive.

Critique of Descartes

1. Descartes’s view of matter: passive, needing external cause to move.

2. Leads to infinite regress of external movers.

3. Challenges to conceptualize interaction without a substance transfer.

CAUSATION AND MOTION

Self-Motion Theory

• Cavendish posits a theory where all motion comes from within the material itself.

• Object motion can be attributed to inherent properties of the objects rather than external forces.

Problems with Transfer of Motion

• Cavendish argues motion cannot be transferred from one body to another.

• Every object possesses its own motion independent of external influences.

Causation Explained

• Principal Causes: The inherent motion and actions of materials (e.g., a bowl moving due to its own capacity).

• Occasional Causes: External influences that may trigger motion without being the source of that motion (e.g., a hand throwing a ball).

MIND AND BODY INTERACTION

Implications of Materialism

• Cavendish's view provides a unique challenge to Cartesian dualism by:

  • Asserting that both mind and body are material and capable of motion and sensation.

  • Suggesting that interaction occurs within a unified material substance.

SUMMARY OF CAVENDISH'S THEORIES

• Cavendish unifies nature under materialism tied to vitalism, proposing that all parts of nature are alive and in motion.

• Rejects mechanistic views that consider matter as inert, offering a comprehensive theory of self-motion for explaining physical phenomena.

• Challenges Cartesian reliance on immaterial substance with her robust materialist claims.

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