Vitalism and panpsychism in the philosophy of Anne Conway
British Journal for the History of Philosophy November 10, 2023 Olivia Branscum
Anne Conway (1631–1679) is usually called a vitalist, meaning she believed life is present everywhere in the world. This article argues that Conway held a stronger view: panpsychism, the idea that mental capacities are universal and fundamental in creation. Reading Conway as a panpsychist highlights her accounts of emanative causation and universal perfectibility. The author distinguishes Conway's vitalism from her panpsychism, noting that contemporaries like Ralph Cudworth and Henry More were vitalists but not panpsychists. Adding the term 'panpsychism' to the interpretive lexicon is important to avoid undervaluing Conway's originality.