Queenly Philosophers: Renaissance Women Aristocrats as Platonic Guardians

(Hardback)

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Recent work on the Platonic notion of the Guardian has focused on the female Guardian, or Philosopher Queen, but mainly insofar as the idea is problematic. Okin, Saxonhouse, and others have tried to be more precise about the concepts involvedthis work aims to use actual publications by British and continentally-trained women aristocrats of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to fill in the lacunae. It is concluded that these women were not only philosophical thinkers, but in some sense Guardians. Their overview encompassed notions of duty, care, and a concern of the development of the intellectual life that left a mark for future generations.

Reviews

This new work on woman philosophers presents a major contribution to the literature. Little work having been done previously on these particular women as philosophers, this work enlightens its audience not only about the works of these five women but about the world of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Through careful analyses of the works, through making clear the environment in which the works were written, and through making clear the necessity of having access to the court, either by being aristocrats themselves or by associationthis text contributes to the understanding of these particular philosophers and their works and to the history of women writing philosophy as well as to a more comprehensive understanding of the history of philosophy than now exists. -- Therese Dykeman, Sacred Heart University
With ingeniously careful development Professor Duran convinces us that five names ought to be added to that of Margaret Cavendish as philosophers of the early modern period: Aphra Benn, Elizabeth I, Katharine Parr and Mary Sidney Herbert. A solid case is made that Plato happily would nod 'yes' to the question 'is this a philosopher-Queen' Duran makes the case that each was queenly (if not Queen) and had the personal character and requisite philosophic acumen to successfully rule in a Republic-like ideal society. A fascinating idea and a welcome introduction of additional contributions by women to the history of philosophy. -- Mary Ellen Waithe Ph.D, Professor Emerita, Cleveland State University

Author Bio

Jane Duran is lecturer in Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.