Margaret Cavendish 1623 – 1673
Margaret Cavendish (1623 – 1673) was an English philosopher of the Modern era, associated with Early Modern Philosophy.
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, was an English philosopher, poet, and prose writer and the first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society. Working in the thick of the seventeenth-century philosophical debates, she developed an original materialist and vitalist natural philosophy in which all of nature, including matter, is rational and self-moving. The Blazing World, appended to her Observations upon Experimental Philosophy, is among the earliest works of science fiction. Her self-description as ambitious for fame in an age that expected silence from women has long fascinated readers.
Key facts
- Nationality
- English
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Early Modern Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Margaret Cavendish:
“I had rather die in the adventure of noble achievements than live in obscure and sluggish security.”
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Attributed to Margaret Cavendish:
“Nature is one infinite body, made of an infinite number of parts.”
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Attributed to Margaret Cavendish:
“Thought is matter; and matter, rightly understood, is rational.”
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Attributed to Margaret Cavendish:
“Reason is corporeal, for it acts in matter and through matter.”
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Attributed to Margaret Cavendish:
“If I cannot be Henry the Fifth, I will be Margaret the First.”
Margaret Cavendish by topic
Frequently asked about Margaret Cavendish
- When did Margaret Cavendish live?
- Margaret Cavendish was born in 1623 and died in 1673.
- Where was Margaret Cavendish from?
- Margaret Cavendish was an English philosopher of the Modern era.
- What philosophical movements is Margaret Cavendish associated with?
- Margaret Cavendish was associated with Early Modern Philosophy.
- What was Margaret Cavendish known for?
- Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, was an English philosopher, poet, and prose writer and the first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society.
- How many quotes are attributed to Margaret Cavendish?
- There are 11 attributed quotations from Margaret Cavendish in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.