7.2 Feminist engagements with Descartes and modern philosophy

Feminist philosophers have critically engaged with Descartes' mind-body dualism, challenging its implications for gender and embodiment. They argue that this dualism reinforces hierarchies privileging mind over body, reason over emotion, and masculinity over femininity, potentially justifying women's subordination.

Some feminists have reinterpreted Descartes more positively, finding emancipatory potential in his method of radical doubt and notion of universal reason. Others have developed alternative frameworks emphasizing embodied, situated, and relational approaches to knowledge and subjectivity that challenge Cartesian assumptions.

Feminist critiques of Cartesian dualism

• Feminist philosophers have challenged Descartes' mind-body dualism, arguing that it has problematic implications for how we understand gender and embodiment
• These critiques suggest that Cartesian dualism reinforces a hierarchical view of mind over body, reason over emotion, and masculinity over femininity
• By separating the mind from the body, Descartes' philosophy is seen as devaluing embodied experience and women's ways of knowing

Mind-body dualism and gender hierarchy

Top images from around the web for Mind-body dualism and gender hierarchy

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Mind-body dualism and gender hierarchy

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Mind–body dualism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Descartes' famous statement "I think, therefore I am" privileges the mind as the seat of identity and knowledge, while the body is seen as inessential or even an obstacle to pure reason
• This dualistic framework maps onto gendered binaries in Western thought, where men are associated with the mind, rationality, and culture, while women are reduced to the body, emotion, and nature
• Feminist thinkers argue that mind-body dualism thus provides a philosophical justification for the subordination of women, whose bodily and emotional lives are treated as inferior to men's intellectual pursuits

Descartes' privileging of reason over emotion

• In his Meditations, Descartes seeks to arrive at certain knowledge by doubting all sensory perceptions and relying solely on clear and distinct ideas apprehended by the intellect
• This methodology elevates a narrow conception of reason as detached, objective, and universal, while dismissing embodied, situated, and affective forms of understanding
• Feminist epistemologists contend that Descartes' view of reason is not neutral but reflects the perspective of a privileged male subject who can imagine himself as disembodied and autonomous

Implications for women's subordination

• By granting epistemic authority to a disembodied, masculine notion of reason, Cartesian dualism has contributed to the exclusion of women from the realm of knowledge production
• Women's experiences, emotions, and bodily ways of knowing have been dismissed as subjective, irrational, and unreliable, reinforcing their subordinate status in philosophy and society more broadly
• The mind-body split also underlies the devaluation of embodied labor, such as domestic work and caregiving, which has traditionally fallen on women and been rendered invisible or insignificant compared to intellectual pursuits

Feminist reinterpretations of Descartes

• While many feminists have critiqued Descartes' dualism, others have sought to reinterpret his philosophy in ways that challenge patriarchal assumptions and recover emancipatory possibilities for women
• These reinterpretations often focus on Descartes' method of radical doubt, his notion of the thinking subject, and his contributions to the Enlightenment ideal of autonomy
• By reading Descartes against the grain, feminist philosophers aim to reclaim aspects of his thought for feminist projects of epistemology, ethics, and politics

Descartes as a proto-feminist thinker

• Some scholars argue that despite his dualistic metaphysics, Descartes' epistemology contains proto-feminist elements that challenge traditional gender hierarchies
• For example, his insistence that all human beings have the capacity for reason regardless of their social position or education suggests a more egalitarian view of knowledge than many of his contemporaries
• Descartes' famous thought experiment of the "evil demon" also raises the possibility of radical skepticism toward received authority and tradition, which feminists have used to question patriarchal dogmas

Cartesian doubt and feminist skepticism

• Descartes' method of systematic doubt, which involves suspending belief in all ideas that can be doubted in order to arrive at clear and distinct knowledge, has been appropriated by feminist epistemologists as a tool for challenging gender bias
• By applying Cartesian doubt to sexist assumptions and stereotypes, feminists can uncover the ways in which dominant beliefs about women are not grounded in reason but in prejudice and power
• This skeptical approach aligns with feminist standpoint theory, which emphasizes the need to start from the experiences of marginalized groups in order to produce more objective and comprehensive knowledge

Reclaiming Descartes for feminist epistemology

• While rejecting his mind-body dualism, some feminist philosophers have found resources in Descartes' epistemology for developing alternative theories of knowledge
• For instance, his notion of clear and distinct ideas has been reinterpreted as a call for epistemic responsibility and self-reflection, rather than a claim to absolute certainty
• Descartes' emphasis on the thinking subject has also been reclaimed as a starting point for feminist theories of embodied subjectivity and relational autonomy, which challenge the individualistic and disembodied conception of the self in Western philosophy

Feminist alternatives to Cartesian philosophy

• In response to the limitations of Cartesian dualism, feminist philosophers have developed alternative frameworks for understanding the relationship between mind and body, reason and emotion, and self and other
• These alternatives often emphasize the embodied, situated, and relational dimensions of human experience, challenging the abstract individualism of modern Western thought
• By grounding knowledge and agency in concrete social contexts, feminist approaches aim to overcome the gendered dichotomies and hierarchies of Cartesian philosophy

Embodied subjectivity and situated knowledge

• Feminist philosophers such as Elizabeth Grosz and Moira Gatens have developed theories of embodied subjectivity that challenge the Cartesian split between mind and body
• These theories understand the self as fundamentally shaped by bodily experiences, sensations, and desires, rather than as a disembodied intellect
• Embodied subjectivity is always situated in specific social, cultural, and historical contexts, which shape our ways of knowing and acting in the world
• Feminist epistemologists like Donna Haraway have argued for the importance of situated knowledge, which recognizes the partial and perspectival nature of all knowledge claims, rather than aspiring to a view from nowhere

Relational autonomy vs Cartesian individualism

• Descartes' conception of the self as a rational, autonomous individual has been criticized by feminist philosophers for ignoring the social and relational dimensions of human existence
• Theorists such as Catriona Mackenzie and Natalie Stoljar have developed alternative notions of relational autonomy, which understand agency as emerging from our connections and responsibilities to others
• Relational autonomy challenges the Cartesian ideal of self-sufficiency and independence, emphasizing the ways in which our identities and choices are shaped by our social roles and relationships
• This approach has important implications for feminist ethics and politics, as it highlights the need for collective action and solidarity in the struggle for gender justice

Feminist empiricism and standpoint theory

• Feminist philosophers of science such as Helen Longino and Sandra Harding have developed alternative epistemologies that challenge the Cartesian ideal of objective, value-neutral knowledge
• Feminist empiricism argues that scientific knowledge is always shaped by social and political values, and that feminist perspectives can help to uncover androcentric biases in scientific research and theory
• Standpoint theory goes further, arguing that marginalized groups such as women have an epistemic advantage in understanding social reality, as they are forced to navigate both dominant and oppressed perspectives
• These approaches suggest that rather than striving for a disembodied view from nowhere, we should embrace the partiality and diversity of situated knowledges as a resource for more comprehensive and critical understanding

Intersectional approaches to modern philosophy

• While early feminist critiques of Descartes often focused on gender alone, more recent scholarship has emphasized the need for an intersectional approach that considers the interplay of gender, race, class, and other forms of oppression
• Intersectional feminists argue that the Enlightenment ideals of reason, progress, and universal humanity that Descartes helped to inaugurate were in fact deeply shaped by European colonialism and white supremacy
• By examining the racial and gendered exclusions of modern philosophy, intersectional approaches aim to develop a more inclusive and critical history of Western thought

Race, gender, and the Enlightenment project

• Philosophers such as Charles Mills and Linda Alcoff have argued that the Enlightenment project of universal reason and progress was built on the exclusion and subordination of non-European and female others
• The abstract, disembodied conception of the rational subject that Descartes helped to inaugurate was in fact modeled on the white, male, European ideal, while women and people of color were denied full humanity and intellectual capacity
• Intersectional feminists argue that we cannot fully understand the gendered dimensions of Cartesian dualism without also considering its racial and colonial underpinnings

Decolonizing Descartes and modern thought

• Postcolonial and decolonial thinkers such as Enrique Dussel and Walter Mignolo have called for a critical re-examination of the European philosophical canon, including Descartes, from the perspective of the global South
• This involves not only uncovering the Eurocentric and colonial assumptions of modern thought, but also recovering alternative philosophical traditions and ways of knowing that have been marginalized or suppressed by Western modernity
• Decolonizing Descartes might involve rethinking his conceptions of reason, subjectivity, and science in light of indigenous and non-Western epistemologies and ontologies

Toward a more inclusive history of philosophy

• Intersectional and decolonial approaches to modern philosophy suggest the need for a more inclusive and critical history of Western thought, one that attends to the voices and experiences of marginalized groups
• This might involve recovering the contributions of women philosophers and philosophers of color who have been excluded from the canon, as well as rethinking the boundaries and definitions of philosophy itself
• By challenging the universality and neutrality of Cartesian reason, intersectional feminists aim to develop a more situated and embodied conception of philosophical inquiry, one that is attentive to the diversity of human experience and the complexity of social reality

Contemporary feminist engagements with Descartes

• Despite the many critiques and reinterpretations of Descartes' philosophy, his ideas continue to shape contemporary debates in feminist philosophy, particularly in the areas of mind, ethics, and science
• Feminist philosophers have both extended and challenged Cartesian frameworks, developing new theories of embodiment, agency, and knowledge that are responsive to the concerns of gender justice
• These engagements demonstrate the ongoing relevance of Descartes for feminist thought, as well as the need for critical and creative appropriations of the philosophical tradition

Descartes in feminist philosophy of mind

• Feminist philosophers of mind such as Susan Bordo and Elizabeth Wilson have revisited Descartes' dualism in light of contemporary debates about embodiment, cognition, and identity
• While rejecting the strict separation of mind and body, these thinkers have found resources in Descartes for understanding the complex relationship between mental and physical processes
• For example, Wilson's work on neural plasticity and embodied cognition draws on Descartes' notion of the mind as a flexible and adaptable entity, even as she challenges his dualistic ontology

Feminist ethics and the Cartesian legacy

• Descartes' emphasis on individual autonomy and rational self-control has been both criticized and reclaimed by feminist ethicists and moral philosophers
• On the one hand, the Cartesian ideal of the autonomous subject has been seen as neglecting the social and relational dimensions of moral agency and responsibility
• On the other hand, feminist philosophers such as Diana Meyers and Marilyn Friedman have argued for the importance of self-determination and critical reflection in feminist conceptions of autonomy and empowerment
• These debates suggest the need for a nuanced engagement with the Cartesian legacy in feminist ethics, one that recognizes both its limitations and its emancipatory possibilities

Descartes and feminist philosophy of science

• Descartes' contributions to the scientific revolution, including his mechanistic view of nature and his emphasis on mathematical reasoning, have been both critiqued and extended by feminist philosophers of science
• Feminist scientists such as Evelyn Fox Keller and Anne Fausto-Sterling have challenged the gender biases implicit in Cartesian models of scientific objectivity and detachment, arguing for a more embodied and situated approach to knowledge production
• At the same time, feminist empiricists and new materialists have found resources in Descartes' philosophy for understanding the agency and dynamism of matter itself, challenging the passive and inert conception of nature associated with Cartesian mechanism
• These engagements suggest the ongoing relevance of Descartes for feminist critiques and reconstructions of scientific knowledge, as well as the need for a more complex and nuanced understanding of his legacy in the philosophy of science