Descartes and the Feminist Circle
example · history ·
retold in 3 talks
Educated women in Descartes' time embraced the *cogito* because its abstraction lacked sex, offering a place for them in philosophy, contrary to the view that modern philosophy is purely patriarchal.
≤2000talks it is told in, per year2026
As told 3
“There was a whole circle of course of educated women but they said wonderfully we like cogito because cogito is not male it doesn't have sex there is a place for us in it.”
“Descartes triggered among rich ladies... a great feminist movement... 'Cogito has no sex, we are finally equal with men.'”
“modern feminism begins with Descartes... because cogito doesn't have a sex.”
What it carries
one story, many jobs: the ideas this anecdote is deployed to argue, one tally mark per use (an idea page shows the same relation from the other end, as its shelf of stories)
Its cast and sources
populated by
Sidney Powell1Georges Marchac1jungseong1Isabel Martínez de Perón1A Lieira1Stella Assange1Haniyeh Eyvani1Claire Danes1
alongside works
Every retelling 3
Educated women in Descartes' time embraced the cogito because its abstraction lacked sex, offering a place for them in philosophy, contrary to the view that modern philosophy is purely patriarchal., illustrating Cartesian subject is feminine
Žižek claims Descartes triggered a feminist movement among rich ladies who realized 'Cogito has no sex,' allowing them to claim equality with men., illustrating Jews as agents of Enlightenment/relativization
Modern feminism begins with Descartes' cogito because it is sexless, unlike pre-modern organic balances (Yin/Yang); thus, European tradition contains the seeds of its own critique and emancipation., illustrating Europe is our only hope