Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast, brought to you with the support of the philosophy department at King's College London and the LNU in Munich. Online at History of Philosophy.net.

Today's episode, The Mind Has No Sex, Cartesianism and Gender.

If you were a well-to-do woman of the mid-17th century, looking for intellectual stimulation,

then before long you'd likely find yourself hanging around with Cartesian's.

Their anti-scholastic approach was slowly making inroads at those bastions of scholasticism,

the universities, especially in the Netherlands, but their real intellectual home was the salon, a meeting held at someone's real home, especially in the Netherlands, but their real intellectual home was the Salon, a meeting held at

someone's real home, especially in Paris, dedicated to witty and edifying conversation.

Unlike the universities, Salon culture welcomed women. In fact, women were often the hosts.

Last time I already mentioned Madame de Bonneros, an outstanding

Salonier, who was an exponent of Descartes's philosophy. There was also Madelan de Souvre,

who corresponded with Descartes' Colle's colleague Arnold and hosted leading scholars, including

Cartesian. The celebrated letter-writer and wit Madame de Sévenier claimed allegiance to what she called the Cartesian's. The celebrated letter, writer, and wit, Madame de Sévenier, claimed allegiance to what she

called the Cartesian sect.

Sivigny referred to her daughter as, My Little Cartesian, which is not the most obvious

endearment, but then French people sometimes express fondness by calling each other,

my little cabbage, so at least it fits a pattern.

Another pattern of more importance to us just now is this fondness of women intellectuals for

Cartesianism. What lay behind it? Well, there was first of all the attitude of Descartes himself.

In addition to his extensive and philosophically deep exchange of letters with

Elizabeth of Bohemia, he also sought and secured preferment from Queen Christina of Sweden.

Now, these were both royal figures, so one might cynically wonder whether their high social status

simply trumped their gender in his eyes. But he also said that his discourse on the method was aimed

...