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Articles

The Power of Motherhood

Regan Penaluna introduces Damaris Masham (1659-1708).

Who was Damaris Masham? John Locke reports to a friend that she is a “remarkably gifted woman” who is “so much occupied with study and reflection on theological and philosophical matters, that you could find few men with whom you might associate with greater profit and pleasure.” Nineteenth century philosopher Victor Cousin, in The Course of the History of Modern Philosophy (1856), says that she was “a person remarkable for her mind.” Professor John Tulloch remarks in his notable work Rational Theology and Christian Philosophy (1871) that Masham deserves “a niche in the history of English philosophy.” Despite such encomiums, today her thought is known to only a handful of scholars. This is unfortunate, because her theory of motherhood provides us with a rich insight into early modern political thought.

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