Damaris Cudworth Masham
Encyclopedia
Damaris Cudworth Masham was an English
philosopher. She was the daughter of Cambridge Platonist philosopher Ralph Cudworth
and a friend of John Locke
, an English philosopher of what later came to be termed as the empiricist school. She published two works on issues of theology
, epistemology, and moral philosophy, and corresponded with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Locke on metaphysical
issues.
In her published books, Masham argued for improved education for women and objected to double standards of "virtue" for women and men. Masham's first work, A Discourse Concerning the Love of God, argued against the view that God was the only proper object of human love, whilst her second concerns the education of children, with the prime concern of that education to produce 'virtuous' children.
Recently, Masham has been recognized for her contributions to early feminist thought. Unlike her male contemporaries who devalue the importance of women and their relevance to social and political life, Masham argued that mothers were essential to the well-being of political society. In addition, she also advocated women's participation in disciplines long dominated by men: sciences and philosophy.
Damaris Cudworth became Lady Masham upon her marriage to Sir Francis Masham in 1685, and she also corresponded with Leibniz.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
philosopher. She was the daughter of Cambridge Platonist philosopher Ralph Cudworth
Ralph Cudworth
Ralph Cudworth was an English philosopher, the leader of the Cambridge Platonists.-Life:Born at Aller, Somerset, he was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, gaining his MA and becoming a Fellow of Emmanuel in 1639. In 1645, he became master of Clare Hall and professor of Hebrew...
and a friend of John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, an English philosopher of what later came to be termed as the empiricist school. She published two works on issues of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, epistemology, and moral philosophy, and corresponded with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Locke on metaphysical
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
issues.
In her published books, Masham argued for improved education for women and objected to double standards of "virtue" for women and men. Masham's first work, A Discourse Concerning the Love of God, argued against the view that God was the only proper object of human love, whilst her second concerns the education of children, with the prime concern of that education to produce 'virtuous' children.
Recently, Masham has been recognized for her contributions to early feminist thought. Unlike her male contemporaries who devalue the importance of women and their relevance to social and political life, Masham argued that mothers were essential to the well-being of political society. In addition, she also advocated women's participation in disciplines long dominated by men: sciences and philosophy.
Damaris Cudworth became Lady Masham upon her marriage to Sir Francis Masham in 1685, and she also corresponded with Leibniz.
Primary sources
- Masham, Damaris Cudworth, A Discourse Concerning the Love of God, Printed in London for A. and J. Churchil at the Black-Swan in Paternoster-Row, 1696.
- Masham, Damaris Cudworth, Occasional Thoughts in reference to a Virtuous or Christian Life, Printed in London for A. and J. Churchil at the Black-Swan in Paternoster-Row, 1705.
- Beer, E. S., The Correspondence of John Locke, vol II (of VII) (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1976).
Commentaries
- Frankel, Lois, "Damaris Cudworth Masham," Mary Ellen Waithe, ed., A History of Women Philosophers, Vol. 3, Kluwer, 1991, pp. 73-85. (Reprinted from Hypatia, 1989). Also reprinted in Linda Lopez McAlister, ed., Hypatia's Daughters: 1500 Years of Women Philosophers, Indiana University Press.