The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory

The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory

In this paper, I demonstrate the extent to which Margaret Cavendish’s early account of matter in Philosophicall Fancies (1653) and Philosophical and Physical Opinions (1655) had its roots in the medical tradition, against a recent expression of scepticism towards my “reading of Cavendish’s general m...

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Yazar: Begley, Justin
Materyal Türü: Article ou chapitre numérique
Dil:Français
Baskı/Yayın Bilgisi: 2024
Online Erişim:Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
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spelling cairn-RHS_772_0249RHSRevue d'histoire des sciences https://shs.cairn.info/revue-d-histoire-des-sciences-2024-2-page-249?lang=en https://doi.org/10.3917/e.rhs.772.0249 The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory Begley, Justin2024 fre Revue d'histoire des sciences | 77 | 2 | 2024-11-06 | p. 249-276 | 0151-4105 RHS_77237 In this paper, I demonstrate the extent to which Margaret Cavendish’s early account of matter in Philosophicall Fancies (1653) and Philosophical and Physical Opinions (1655) had its roots in the medical tradition, against a recent expression of scepticism towards my “reading of Cavendish’s general matter theory as deriving from this medical tradition.” I argue that Cavendish drew dynamically on both Galenic and chymical ideas in these early works as she forged a substance theory according to which nature is composed of sensitive and rational spirits that are extracts of dull matter. Yet I go on to show that medical ideas had less of a bearing on her later natural philosophy, as presented in Observations upon Experimental Philosophy (1666) and Grounds of Natural Philosophy (1668). In these, her last two philosophical publications, she disregarded spirits in favour of the more general “matter,” and posited that even motionless matter (as opposed only to moving spirits) possesses knowledge and life.Dans cet article, je démontre à quel point les premiers récits de Margaret Cavendish sur la matière dans Philosophicall fancies (1653) et Philosophical and physical opinions (1655) avaient leurs racines dans la tradition médicale, contrairement à une expression récente de scepticisme à l’égard de ma «lecture de la théorie de la matière générale de Cavendish comme issue de cette tradition médicale». Je soutiens que Cavendish s’est inspirée de manière dynamique des idées galéniques et chimiques dans ces premiers travaux en forgeant une théorie de la substance selon laquelle la nature est composée d’esprits sensibles et rationnels qui sont des extraits de matière fade. Pourtant, je continue en montrant que les idées médicales avaient moins d’influence sur sa philosophie naturelle ultérieure, telle que présentée dans Observations on experimental philosophy (1666) et Grounds of natural philosophy (1668). Dans ces deux dernières publications, elle a négligé les esprits au profit de la «matière» plus générale et a postulé que même la matière immobile (par opposition aux seuls esprits en mouvement) possède la connaissance et la vie.Cairn free access
language Français
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description In this paper, I demonstrate the extent to which Margaret Cavendish’s early account of matter in Philosophicall Fancies (1653) and Philosophical and Physical Opinions (1655) had its roots in the medical tradition, against a recent expression of scepticism towards my “reading of Cavendish’s general matter theory as deriving from this medical tradition.” I argue that Cavendish drew dynamically on both Galenic and chymical ideas in these early works as she forged a substance theory according to which nature is composed of sensitive and rational spirits that are extracts of dull matter. Yet I go on to show that medical ideas had less of a bearing on her later natural philosophy, as presented in Observations upon Experimental Philosophy (1666) and Grounds of Natural Philosophy (1668). In these, her last two philosophical publications, she disregarded spirits in favour of the more general “matter,” and posited that even motionless matter (as opposed only to moving spirits) possesses knowledge and life.
author Begley, Justin
spellingShingle Begley, Justin
The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
author_facet Begley, Justin
author_sort Begley, Justin
title The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
title_short The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
title_full The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
title_fullStr The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
title_full_unstemmed The Medical Roots of Margaret Cavendish’s Matter Theory
title_sort medical roots of margaret cavendish’s matter theory
publishDate 2024
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url https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://shs.cairn.info/revue-d-histoire-des-sciences-2024-2-page-249?lang=en
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.3917/e.rhs.772.0249
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