Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Iris Marion Young, Margaret Cavendish and Friedrich Schiller

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4 ideas

17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 1. Physical Mind

23221	The brain, and all the mental events within it, consists entirely of sensitive and rational matter [Cavendish]
	Full Idea: Sensitive and rational matter …makes not only the Brain, but all Thoughts, Conceptions, Imaginations, Fancy, Understanding, Memory, Remembrance, and whatsoever motions are in the Head or Brain.
	From: Margaret Cavendish (Philosophical Letters [1664], p.185), quoted by Matthew Cobb - The Idea of the Brain 2
	A reaction: Judging by the date of this, and that she is a Cavendish, the influence of Hobbes must be strong, which was brave in 1664. A very strong statement of reductive physicalism, making sure that nothing is left out.

21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality

22022	Beauty motivates morality, by harmonising feeling and reason [Schiller, by Pinkard]
	Full Idea: On Schiller's view, only beauty could shape or evince the necessary harmony between sensibility and reason (between inclination and duty) which provides the crucial motivation for the moral life.
	From: report of Friedrich Schiller (works [1794]) by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 06
	A reaction: Maybe. Reason should probably be drawn towards feelings which seem inspiring.

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 12. Feminism

20751	As a young girl assumes her status as feminine, she acts in a more fragile immobile way [Young,IM]
	Full Idea: The young girl acquires many subject habits of feminine body comportment - walking, tilting her head, standing and sitting like a girl, and so on ….The more a girl assumes her status as feminine, the more she takes herself to be fragile and immobile.
	From: Iris Marion Young (On Female Body Experience [2005], p.43), quoted by Kevin Aho - Existentialism: an introduction 3 'Aspects'
	A reaction: This strikes me as true of young women, but it largely wears off as they get older, at least among modern women. A whole book could be written about women and smiling.

25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 5. Freedom of lifestyle

7675	Schiller speaks obsessively of freedom throughout his works [Schiller, by Berlin]
	Full Idea: Schiller constantly speaks of spiritual freedom: freedom of reason, the kingdom of freedom, our free self, inner freedom, freedom of mind, moral freedom, the free intelligence - a very favourite phrase - holy freedom, the impregnable citadel of freedom.
	From: report of Friedrich Schiller (works [1794]) by Isaiah Berlin - The Roots of Romanticism
	A reaction: Kant's philosophy and his Kingdom of Ends are an obvious source for this, but I trace the sentiment back to 'Freeborn John' Lilburne during the English Civil War. The English, thanks to Voltaire, embodied freedom in the Enlightenment.