Philosophy Program and Dean of the College Present
The Literal and Metaphorical Senses of Slavery in Mary Astell’s Some Reflections upon Marriage
Friday, February 19, 2021
Online Event
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST/GMT-5
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Aminah Hasan-Birdwell
Alva and Beatrice Bradley Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Furman University/Associate Research Scholar in Philosophy, Columbia University
Alva and Beatrice Bradley Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Furman University/Associate Research Scholar in Philosophy, Columbia University
This paper examines the metaphorical and literal senses of Mary Astell’s feminist equation of marriage to slavery in Some Reflections upon Marriage (1700). I argue that Astell’s use of the concept of the slave to describe the inequality between men and women suggests an important intersection between the history of slavery, race, and gender. I will conclude with larger reflections on Astell’s Cartesian emphasis on the disembodied mind as the philosophical ground for equality between the sexes. This account of equality is a noteworthy contrast with twentieth-century thinkers on race and gender, who tend to emphasize embodiment.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 886 7102 7421 / Passcode: 829359
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 886 7102 7421 / Passcode: 829359
For more information, call 845-758-7280, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Online Event