Mary Astell and Philosophy as a Way of Life

What is it about?

Mary Astell, known as the "first English feminist," is perhaps best known for A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Volumes 1 and 2. In Volume 1, Astell presents an argument for a "women's monastery," in which women can retreat to avoid the pressures of marriage and instead cultivate their intellects. After this was proposal was widely rejected and mocked by the public, she crafted Volume 2-- part primer, part argument, part social critique--instructing women how to cultivate their own intellect and character via series of intellectual exercises. These intellectual exercises--drawing widely from Descartes's philosophy--help one break with the true obstacles to a fruitful life: custom and prejudice.

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Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Philosophy as a Way of Life is entering a new renaissance, yet much of the time focuses only on "Canonical" figures throughout our philosophical history. This article expands the Canon to include Mary Astell, and also, in doing so, provides a new hermeneutic for reading Astell: she is not just a "modern" philosopher, but a philosopher in the tradition of philosophy as a way of life.