The Philosophy of Anne Conway - by Jonathan Head (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The early modern philosopher Anne Conway offers a remarkable synthesis of ideas from differing philosophical traditions that deserve our attention today. Exploring all of the major aspects of Conway's thought, this book presents a valuable guide to her contribution to the history of philosophy.

Through a close reading of her central text, Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy (1690), it considers her intellectual context and addresses some of the outstanding interpretive issues concerning her philosophy. Contrasting her position with that of contemporaries such as Henry More, Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont and George Keith, it examines her critique of the prominent philosophical schools of the time, including Cartesian dualism and Hobbesian materialism.

From her accounts of dualism, time and God to the often overlooked elements of her work such as her theory of freedom and salvation, The Philosophy of Anne Conway illuminates the ideas and legacy of an important early-modern woman philosopher.

Review Quotes

Jonathan Head's The Philosophy of Anne Conway is a thoughtful introduction to the complicated philosophical system of this understudied philosopher, which will be a great help to those eager to teach her thought.
Christia Mercer, Gustave M. Berne Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University, USA

Jonathan Head's study of Anne Conway's philosophy is welcome as the first to be written with non-specialists in mind. With a distinctive emphasis on Conway's Quaker context, he provides an accessible introduction to Conway's philosophy, which both elucidates important aspects of her philosophy and furnishes material for debate and discussion.
Sarah Hutton, Honorary Visiting Professor of Philosophy, University of York, UK

Scholars have long regarded Anne Conway's Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy(1690) as a work of great metaphysical subtlety and sophistication. Jonathan Head's wonderfully lucid study will improve our understanding of Conway's text, enhance our appreciation of its origins, and enrich future scholarship on this remarkable philosopher.
Jacqueline Broad, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Monash University, Australia

About the Author

Jonathan Head is Lecturer in Philosophy at Keele University, UK. He is co-editor of Schopenhauer's Fourfold Root (2016), and has published papers on Anne Conway, Kant and Schopenhauer.