Episode Overview

Title: The Mind Has No Sex: Cartesianism and Gender
Podcast: History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Host: Peter Adamson
Date: October 5, 2025
Theme:
This episode examines the significant role of Cartesian philosophy in the intellectual lives of 17th-century women, exploring how Descartes' ideas resonated in the Parisian salons, contributed to early feminist arguments, and fostered debates about gender, intellect, and societal roles. The episode also contrasts Cartesianism with Scholasticism and Aristotelianism in relation to arguments for gender equality, highlighting both male and female contributors to the discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Parisian Salon: Women's Intellectual Haven

• Salons emerged in 17th-century Paris as vital centers for intellectual conversation, with women as leading hosts and participants.
• Cartesianism found fertile ground in these settings, contrasting with the male-dominated, exclusionary universities.
• Notable salonnières (female hosts) and Cartesian sympathizers included Madame de Bonnevaux, Madeleine des Souvre, and Madame de Sévigné, the latter jokingly calling her daughter “my little Cartesian” ([01:45]).

2. Descartes’ Inclusive Attitude and Methods

• Descartes aimed to make philosophy accessible to “a broad audience, including women,” adopting clear, jargon-free language ([03:10]).
• The Cartesian method of doubting preconceptions was especially appealing to women excluded from traditional philosophical training; having fewer scholarly preconceptions made the method easier to implement.
• Descartes’ engagement with women (notably Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia and Queen Christina of Sweden) is highlighted, along with a quote from his biographer Baillet:

  “He found ladies to be more gentle, more patient, more docile, in a word, more void of prejudices and false doctrines than many men.” ([04:40])

• Descartes’ dualism implies that the mind (or soul) is fundamentally genderless, a point Queen Christina herself recognized, stating,

  “The soul is of no sex.” ([06:30])

3. Mockery and Social Barriers

• Intellectual women, or savantes, were satirized by contemporaries; Molière’s comedy Les Femmes Savantes (The Learned Ladies) lampooned such groups ([07:12]).
• Catherine Descartes (the philosopher’s niece), along with friends like Armande de la Vigne and Marie Dupré, faced societal resistance. La Vigne’s ironic poem reflects prevailing gender norms:

  “For women it is almost a duty to speak rarely and to know nothing. And if a lady follows other maxims, she should hide them as one hides crimes.” ([09:20])

4. Madeleine de Scudéry and Feminist Literary Networks

• Scudéry’s novels and speeches advanced the idea that women should pursue learning, noting,

  “Our sex is capable of anything we would attempt.” ([12:00])

• She wrote under pseudonyms due to social pressures, and her character Sappho defended the reason, memory, and imagination of women.

5. Francois Poulain de la Barre: Cartesian Feminism

• Poulain authored three works on gender equality, most significantly On the Equality of the Two Sexes (1673).
• He structured his arguments in the Renaissance dialogue tradition, using spirited debate to address prejudice.
• Poulain explicitly applied Cartesian principles:

  “One should not be like the Scholastics, whose learning is based on the opinions they formed in the cradle, but instead use Descartes’ method of doubt... in a state of impartiality or of objectivity in which we lean neither to one side nor the other.” ([18:40])

• Poulain’s dialogues reveal the persistence of ingrained biases, shown in an exchange where:
  • Stesimachus praises Sophia as “the mind of a man and the body of a woman”—promptly called out as inconsistent with his own egalitarian arguments, to which he apologizes ([17:30]).
  • Eulalia highlights epistemic injustice, replying to the claim that low expectations help women: “It's not so advantageous if no one takes you seriously.”
• Poulain’s most novel contribution: combining the method of doubt with the belief that “the mind or soul has no sex,” extending Cartesian dualism to support social equality ([22:45]).
• He also linked social inequalities to historical contingencies, suggesting male domination arose from physical advantage and social conditions—not nature ([23:50]).

6. Contrasts with Scholastic and Aristotelian Feminism

• Anna Maria van Schurmann argued for women’s education using strictly Scholastic, syllogistic methods, drawing on Aristotle’s maxim that “all humans have a natural desire for knowledge,” including women ([27:00]).
• Feminist arguments also appeared in Aristotelian frameworks; Louis Leclage advocated for women’s philosophical education, but as a means for them to be “good wives and mothers”—and rejected Cartesianism for its destabilizing effects ([31:50]).
• Even socially conservative thinkers found themselves supporting the education of women, reflecting a broader cultural shift.

7. Limits and Legacy

• While Descartes’ philosophy empowered many elite women, such educational opportunities remained restricted to the upper classes—both in Cartesian and Aristotelian circles ([34:00]).
• The episode closes with a tease for the next topic: Cartesianism's influence on medicine ([36:30]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peter Adamson:

  “This was philosophy that could readily be understood by women who might be highly literate, but who were excluded from the gated community of the university’s scholarship...” ([03:24])

• Queen Christina of Sweden:

  “The soul is of no sex and... weaknesses of the female sex ... have nothing to do with their soul.” ([06:30])

• Armande de la Vigne:

  “For women it is almost a duty to speak rarely and to know nothing. And if a lady follows other maxims, she should hide them as one hides crimes.” ([09:20])

• Madeleine de Scudéry:

  “Our sex is capable of anything we would attempt.” ([12:00])

• Poulain de la Barre (as summarized by Adamson):

  “It is no more difficult to become a philosopher than a carpet maker, apparently forgetting how hard it is to make a decent carpet.” ([23:30])

• Adamson on Conservatism and Change:

  “Even the socially conservative Aristotelians arguing that women should be well educated. It’s no wonder that the 17th century was a turning point for the involvement of women in philosophy.” ([34:44])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:45] — Popularity of Cartesianism among women and salon culture
• [03:10] — Descartes’ accessible style and intention to write for women
• [04:40] — Descartes’ appreciation for women intellectuals (quoted by Baillet)
• [06:30] — Queen Christina’s remark on the soul’s lack of sex
• [07:12] — Mockery of learned women in literature, e.g. Molière’s “Les femmes savantes”
• [09:20] — Armande de la Vigne’s poem on women’s intellectual suppression
• [12:00] — Scudéry’s advocacy of women’s intellectual capacity
• [17:30] — Poulain’s dialogue: pointing out inconsistency in feminist arguments
• [18:40] — Application of Cartesian method of doubt to social prejudices
• [22:45] — Poulain’s claim: “the mind or soul has no sex”
• [23:30] — Poulain’s analogy: philosopher vs. carpet-maker
• [27:00] — Anna Maria van Schurmann’s Scholastic defense of women’s education
• [31:50] — Louis Leclage: Aristotelian rationale for female education (opposing Cartesianism)
• [34:44] — Adamson on 17th-century revolutions in women’s philosophy
• [36:30] — Teaser for next episode: Cartesianism and medicine

Tone & Style

Peter Adamson maintains a conversational, witty, and accessible tone throughout the episode, often highlighting the ironies and social complexities of 17th-century debates. He frames historical figures’ words and actions with both appreciation for their contributions and a critical awareness of their limitations and cultural context.

Summary Takeaways

• Cartesianism facilitated new arguments for women’s intellectual equality and inspired both male and female advocates.
• Feminist arguments were not dependent on any one philosophical method; both Scholastic and humanist approaches contributed alongside Cartesian ones.
• Despite social backlash, elite women played a significant role in shaping philosophical discourse—though these advances remained limited by class.
• The mind’s genderless nature, emphasized by Descartes and his philosophical heirs, laid important groundwork for later feminist thought.