Queenly Philosophers: Renaissance Women Aristocrats as Platonic Guardians

Description

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 involved—this 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. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Part One: The Guardian Question Chapter One: Philosopher Queens Part Two: Theology and Philosophy Chapter Two: The 1500s as a Time of Change Chapter Three: Mary Sidney Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke Chapter Four: Katherine Parr, Queen Consort Chapter Five: Elizabeth I Part Three: Science and Philosophy Chapter Six: The 1600s and Intellectual Ferment Chapter Seven: Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle Chapter Eight: Aphra Behn and the Aristocratic Circle Part Four: Commitments and Philosophers Chapter Nine: The Aristocratic Guardians References Index About the Author