Workshop “Cartesian Feminism and Women Cartesians”
Human Abilities Center, Berlin (Schönhauser Allee 10-11, 10119 Berlin, Germany)
October 11th – 12th, 2025
Organizers: Luce deLire, Pedro Pricladnitzky, Ariane Schneck
This workshop aims at discussing thinkers who have argued (proto-)feministically based on Descartes, as well as women philosophers who have dealt with other aspects of Descartes’ philosophy. The objective is to bring their engagement with Descartes – and Cartesianism more broadly defined – up for discussion and in so doing also show new ways of integrating these thinkers and topics into the so-called “canon.”
Hybrid event: In person-participation or online-participation via Zoom possible (please register here: womencartesians@gmail.com by September 26th 2025 and indicate whether you would like to participate in person or via Zoom).
Day 1 (Saturday, October 11th):
9.15 am-9.30 am: Welcome Note and Introduction
9.30 am-10.45 am: Keynote 1: Sarah Hutton (University of York): “Women, Feminism and Descartes: Cartesian Natural Philosophy and its Reception among Women”
10.45 am-11 am: Short Coffee Break
11 am-12.15 pm: Luce deLire (Humboldt University Berlin): “Tribades, Sodomites, Hermaphrodites – and Descartes”
12.15 pm-1.45 pm: Lunch Break
1.45 pm-3 pm: Pedro Pricladnitzky (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile): “Émilie Du Châtelet’s Reception of Cartesian Philosophy of Nature” (talk via Zoom)
3 pm-4.15 pm: Julie Walsh (Wellesley College): “Gabrielle Suchon on Property”
4.15 pm-4.45 pm: Coffee break
4.45 pm-6 pm: Ariane Schneck (American University in Cairo): “Adaptive Preferences and Autonomy in Poulain de la Barre and Suchon”
Day 2 (Sunday, October 12th):
9.30 am-10.45 am: Keynote 2: Marie-Frédérique Pellegrin (Université Grenoble-Alpes): “The Female Body in Poulain de la Barre – Inheritance or Betrayal of Cartesian Thought?“
10.45 am-11 am: Short Coffee Break
10 am-12.15 pm: Martina Reuter (University of Jyväskylä): “Poulain de la Barre on Prejudice and Epistemic Emotions”
12.15 pm-1.45 pm: Lunch Break
1.45 pm-3 pm: Leonardo Moauro (Humboldt University Berlin): “Cartesian Minds in Prejudiced Societies: Poulain de la Barre and Astell on Prejudice and Custom”
3 pm-4.15 pm: Manuel Fasko (University of Basel): “Strictures and Empowerment of the Cartesian Mind”
4.15 pm-4.45 pm: Coffee break
4.45 pm-6 pm: Mary McDonald (University of Jyväskylä): “From Rationality to Monstrosity: A Montaignian Alternative to Cartesian Feminism”
6 pm-6.15 pm: Farewell Note
The workshop is funded by the Bielefeld based sub-project “New Voices in the Canon” (led by Michaela Rehm) of the “Iconoclasm” joint project that aims at increasing the visibility of women in philosophy (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/670560.html) and supported by the Human Abilities Center in Berlin.