regan penaluna, summer 2006

Vocation, Early Modern Women Philosophers, and Their Place in the History of Ethics

Prof. Penaluna states:

I am currently researching the notion of “duty” in the thought of early modern women philosophers.  I have found that early modern women philosophers were using the concept of duty as a means for justifying women’s right to education; essentially, thinkers such as Mary Astell, Damaris Masham, Mary Chudleigh, and Catherine Cockburn argued that God has expectations for human life, and the nature of this expectation is “duty.”  These thinkers then proceed to show how the cultivation of reason is necessary in order for any individual—women included—to fulfill their God-given duties.  I have already established that the notion of “duty” as used by these women was deeply indebted to Luther’s concept of vocation.  Indeed, this was part of my research proposal for the self-directed reading program grant that I received last summer, and I shared my research both in an Agora article and also during a brown bag discussion held by the women’s studies department. 

After I completed my reading and research from last summer, there was yet an important question remaining.  Once I understood the significance of “vocation” for these early modern thinkers, I began to wonder how they fit into the canon of the history of early modern ethics.  If I were to explain to someone how the thought of early modern women philosophers related to their contemporaries such as John Locke, Nicolas Malebranche, or Rene Descartes, what would I say?  I realized that the answer to this question would not only provide a deeper understanding of these women philosophers, but it would also make them more relevant to scholars who are more inclined to dismiss them as marginal figures or as thinkers who were unconcerned with the important issues during their day. 

Thus, I propose to research the general trends in ethical thinking during the seventeenth-century so that I can carve a spot in that history for women philosophers who discuss vocation.  I will pay attention to the ancient and medieval influences on seventeenth-century thinkers not to mention the theological influences.  My reading list reflects this focus.

Preparation:

As I mentioned above, I have already been at work on this topic in general. Thus, I am intimately familiar with the scholarship and the important questions. My hope is to show how Luther’s idea of vocation was deeply critical to the thought of many early modern women philosophers and ultimately where their thought fits in the canon of the history of ethics. 

Reading List

Overviews and Background of Seventeenth-century Ethics

Garber, Daniel, The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Philosophy (2 vol)

Langford, Paul, Eighteenth-Century Britain (OUP, 1999)                

Miller, David, Political Philosophy, (OUP, 1999)

Morrill, John, Stuart Britain, (OUP, 1999)

Pink, Thomas, Free Will, (OUP, 1999)

Rutheford, Donald, Cambridge Companion to Early Modern Philosophy (CUP)

Schneewind, J. The Invention of Autonomy (CUP, 1997)

                        Moral Philosophy from Montaigne to Kant (CUP, 2002)

Wacks, Raymond, Philosophy of Law, (OUP, 1999)

Primary Texts in Seventeenth-century Ethics

Cumberland, Treatise on Human Nature (Liberty Press, 2005)

Thomas, David, Routledge Guidebook to Locke on Government (Routledge, 1995)

Influences on Seventeenth-century Ethics

Annas, Julia, Ancient Philosophy, (OUP, 1999)

Barnes, Jonathan Aristotle (OUP, 1999)

Chadwick, Henry, Augustine (OUP: 1999)

Dunn, John, Locke, (OUP, 1999)

Ford, David, Theology, (OUP, 1999) $

Inwood, Brad, The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics (CUP, 2003)

Inwood, Brad, Hellenistic and Early Modern Philosophy (CUP: 2003)

Riches, John, The Bible, (OUP, 1999)

Sanders, E.P., Paul, (OUP, 1999)

Sedley, David, Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy (CUP, 2003)

Walters, Margaret, Feminism (OUP, 1999)

Woodhead, Linda, Christianity, (OUP, 1999)

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