Monism and individuation in Anne Conway as a critique of Spinoza

British Journal for the History of Philosophy 27 (4):771-785 (2019)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In chapter IX of the Principles, Anne Conway claims that her metaphysics is diametrically opposed to those of Descartes and Spinoza. Scholars have analyzed her rejection of Cartesianism, but not her critique of Spinoza. This paper proposes that two central points of Conway’s metaphysics can be understood as direct responses to Spinoza: (1) the relation between God, Christ, and the creatures in the tripartite division of being, and (2) the individuation of beings in the lowest species. I will argue that Conway, in criticizing Spinoza’s identification between God and nature, defends a paradoxical monism, and that her concept of individuation is a reductio ad absurdum of Spinoza’s criterion of identity in the individuation of finite modes.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 97,042

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Anne Conway. [REVIEW]Catherine Brown Tkacz - 2006 - Review of Metaphysics 59 (3):645-646.
Vitalism and panpsychism in the philosophy of Anne Conway.Olivia Branscum - 2024 - British Journal for the History of Philosophy 32 (5):1030-1051.
Anne Conway: A Woman Philosopher.Sarah Hutton - 2004 - New York: Cambridge University Press.
Time, space, and process in Anne Conway.Emily Thomas - 2017 - British Journal for the History of Philosophy 25 (5):990-1010.
Anne Conway: Bodies in the Spiritual World.Marcy P. Lascano - 2013 - Philosophy Compass 8 (4):327-336.
Anne Conway on Time, the Trinity, and Eschatology.Jonathan Head - 2017 - Philosophy and Theology 29 (2):277-295.
Spinoza on essence and ideal individuation.Adam Murray - 2013 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 43 (1):78-96.

Analytics

Added to PP
2019-03-02

Downloads
136 (#142,764)

6 months
22 (#178,999)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Nastassja Pugliese
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Citations of this work

Justicia divina y jerarquía: la naturaleza humana en Anne Conway”.Natalia Strok - 2021 - Logos. Anales Del Seminario de Metafísica [Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España] 54 (1):193-210.
Vitalism and panpsychism in the philosophy of Anne Conway.Olivia Branscum - 2024 - British Journal for the History of Philosophy 32 (5):1030-1051.
Suffering for Justice in Anne Conway and Maria W. Stewart.Timothy Yenter - 2023 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 61 (1):275-294.
Lady Anne Conway.Sarah Hutton - 2008 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Anne Conway: Bodies in the Spiritual World.Marcy P. Lascano - 2013 - Philosophy Compass 8 (4):327-336.
Time, space, and process in Anne Conway.Emily Thomas - 2017 - British Journal for the History of Philosophy 25 (5):990-1010.
Historical and critical Dictionary. Selections. Bayle, Richard H. Popkin & Craig Brush - 1966 - Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 156:255-256.

View all 11 references / Add more references