Introduction

Abstract

Extract This book is about two early modern women philosophers—Margaret Cavendish and Anne Conway—but it is also a book about early modern metaphysics. So my focus concerns their views on subjects like the existence and nature of God, the ultimate constituents and structure of the world, substances, the individuation and nature of beings, causation, perception, and free will. However, issues in epistemology, methodology, and teleology are also addressed. Moreover, the metaphysical systems developed by these philosophers are to some extent in service of understanding other aspects of our world. Margaret Cavendish develops her metaphysical system in conjunction with her explanations of phenomena in natural philosophy. That is, she believes that her system enables us to make the most sense (and reason) of the things we find in the natural world, such as the nature of fire, the development of animals, the motions of matter, and the treatments and causes of disease. For Anne Conway, metaphysics is largely in the service of reconciling God’s goodness and justice with the seemingly imperfect world of our experience. She is concerned to explain how evil and suffering are compatible with an all-powerful and all-good God. In other words, she is primarily concerned with providing a theodicy.1 In what follows, the issue of why it is fruitful to consider these women’s views in tandem is addressed. But first we must address the issue of how we got to the point where a book on the metaphysical views of early modern women philosophers was necessary, or even possible.