ABSTRACT
For Mary Astell scholars, the author's obscure reference to the 'great Philosopher' should come as no surprise: many have interpreted Astell as a 'Cartesian philosopher' or as someone who grounds her feminist views on Cartesian epistemological principles. From her first letter to the occasionalist John Norris in 1693, to her last work in response to the third Earl of Shaftesbury in 1709, Astell reveals herself to be a strong supporter of Cartesian ideas. In the standard accounts of Astell's debt to Cartesianism, the impact of Cartesian ethics has not been examined in full. Yet Descartes' conception of the ethical character of the passions is a recurring theme in many of Astell's works. In A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part II, Astell makes explicit reference to Descartes' account of the passions, and this discussion forms a crucial part of Astell's feminist project to teach women how to lead useful lives of virtue and wisdom.
