Quintessence...Realizing the Archaic Future: A Radical Elemental Feminist Manifesto

by Mary Daly

"Suffused with her inimitable word play and stunning intelligence, and embodying a balance of mysticism and critical theory, Daly's clarion call to uncover the quintessence of the universe is quite an intriguing tune." - On the Issues

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Mary Daly was an American radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian. Daly, who described herself as a "radical lesbian feminist", taught at Boston College, a Jesuit-run institution, for 33 years. Daly consented to retire from Boston College in 1999, after violating university policy by refusing to allow male students in her advanced women's studies classes. She allowed male students in her introductory class and privately tutored those who wanted to take advanced classes.

Reviews

[fausto · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Mary Daly's works Spins the conections of the horrors of patriarchy, moving beyond the limits of linear time and his-tory. If you want to read her books you must probably need to have a "linear" sequence, that is: Gyn/Ecology, Pure Lust, Wickedary, Outercourse, and then Quintessence (why) beacuse as she explains this books is the third in her study of the sins of patriarchy, for that reason you need to previously know at least Gyn/Ecology and Pure Lust in order to understand the way she makes the conections and don´t have the sensation that this is an ocultist book with "New Age" ideas (in fact Daly's works is kinda the opposite to New Age).
I find this book very conected with Gy/Ecology, in fact a lot of her passages came directly from that book, for me the best part of the book is the conversations of the author with Anonimya, a womyn fron the 2058 B.E. (Biophilic Era) in those conversations she deals with her perceptions of the future and the way women make a Journey to the unknown continent, that is, womyn forgotten and raped Be-Ing and Background (both ideas that came from Gyn/Ecology).

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daly makes some good points but in an effort to break free from patriarchal control replaces rigour with "because I said so" leading (if we were to accept her word) to a new hegemony based in her unexamined white privilege (and questionable admiration for Aquinas). Her use of imaginitive asides is interesting but mostly comes across as self-indulgent and precious rather than useful or deeply reflective...I don't know to what extent I am unfairly putting hindsight to work there. I know she was a "big name" in the 90s and the reluctance of publishers to publish controvesial feminists, while probably not a conspiracy in the way that she frames it was problematic and misogynist.

I would really hope she got past her transphobia and her tendency to reduce all women to a homogeneity that she is comfortable with. I did find some of the observations useful and am not sorry I read it even though at the time I wasn't really enjoying it.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

DALY COMMENTS (SOMETIMES THROUGH A ‘NARRATOR’) ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS

Mary Daly (1928-2010) was a radical feminist philosopher and theologian who taught at Jesuit-run Boston College for 33 years; she retired in 1999, after a discrimination claim was filed against the college by two male students who claimed to want to be admitted to her advanced Women’s Studies courses.

(The ‘Preface’ is purportedly written by ‘Anonyma,’ who is writing from the future [in which feminism has been triumphant.] Her comments through the book are indicated by being printed in italics.)

Daly wrote in the Author’s Introduction to this 1998 book, “This brings me to the title of this book…. This may seem to be rather an intimidating title. Moreover, its connection with the subtitle… may not be immediately evident to the reader. It all comes together for Canny Women, however, when we begin to understand the extremity of the conditions under which we struggle to survive and thrive. At the end of the 20th century … we are faced with the reality of hideous manipulation and the probability of ultimate extinction, not only of our own bodies/minds (ourselves), but of all nature.” (Pg. 2)

She continues. “Ignoring phony promises of a ‘better future,’ Wayward Women WILL to find and create a Real Future. We Time-Space Travel beyond archetypal deadtime and reach deep into our Memories, our Deep Past, to Dis-cover the roots of an Archaic Future, beyond the limits of patriarchal linear time. That is why this book is called ‘Quintessence… Realizing the Archaic Future." Because seeing into the manmade horror can force us to break through the brain-killing casings that are crushing our skulls, stifling our souls.” (Pg. 3-4)

The ‘narrator’ says of Daly, “Mary mentioned the 20th century plant physiologist Rupert Sheldrake, who demonstrated the reality of ‘morphogenetic fields.’… She emphasized the usefulness of applying these insights to our understandings of virtues, such as courage… In the western classical philosophical tradition virtues are described as forms existing in powers of the soul, and are known as ‘good operative habits.’ This means they are acquired and strengthened by repeated acts. So, for example, we become more courageous by performing courageous acts. By combining this classical understanding of virtues with Sheldrake’s insight concerning morphogenetic fields, we can construct a springboard for understanding our remarkable inheritance of virtues from our Foresisters.” (Pg. 62)

Daly asserts, “Cackling Crones … understand that men made up ‘the gods’ in the first place, to resemble themselves. So the ‘jealousy of the gods must be the jealousy of men.' Perhaps another level of explanation lies/lie in the fact that this is all a cover-up for the reality that so many men lack ‘authentic creativity’ and therefore need courage to risk exposure of this deficiency.” (Pg. 90-91)

She observes, “some of us sensed that there was something MORE going on in the 1980s and 1990s that almost managed to stop us in our tracks and turn us against each other… There was fragmentation everywhere in society, and it was especially devastating among women, even and perhaps especially among those who had proclaimed ourSelves to be Feminists and Lesbians. The breaking off of friendships, the abandonment and betrayals were so flagrant and common that many were disheartened and simply withdrew their energies from the cause of women.” (Pg. 108)

She notes, “In a world that is spiritually bankrupt, women seeking nemesis are offered such alternatives as Madonna. A product advertised as ‘pure garlic’ is labeled and marketed as 'Quintessence’ by ‘nutraceutical’ hucksters in a New Age magazine.” (Pg. 122)

She acknowledges, “In order to achieve the goal of mental castration, oppressors must have access to the minds of their victims. Women’s Studies provides an arena in which such access can be assured… Women under patriarchy have always been assigned to be carriers of woman-negating ideologies. And we should be familiar, by now, with the mechanisms of backlash, including erasure, reversal, and intimidation, and subsequent attempts by the institutionally powerless to obtain approval and rewards from those in power. But recently there has been a serious escalation. Many women in academia have truly become tongue-tied in their efforts NOT to name the fact of oppression.” (Pg. 136)

Anonyma states, “[W]e were not only excited by also frustrated by [Simone] de Beauvoir’s analysis. Her unquestioning supposition that patriarchy had always existed just didn’t feel right. By the early seventies we wanted something more, and many of us were ready for it, although it was not clear what we needed. [Elizabeth Gould] Davis sounded a Call and provided fuel for further Great Leaps of Daring… Of course there were scholars, notably Marija Gimbutas, who came along after Davis and brought us more specialized data. But … There was bold Originality and Fire in ‘The First Sex.’” (Pg. 158)

She contends, “The invention of ‘Gender Studies’ has been another Dionysian pseudotriumph over Feminist clarity. Postmodern theory also has been a massive Dionysian plot to destroy Feminist knowing of reality.” (Pg. 173)

She explains, “Encounters with all these beings are sources of natural grace. ‘Grace’ in this context does not refer to the Christian concept of a ‘supernatural’ gift of god. The grace I am Naming her is Quintessentially natural. It is the innate source of our capacities to clearly intuit, think, will, sense, imagine, remember, feel, heal, teach ourselves and others, and act consistently with our knowledge and desires.” (Pg. 225)

She states, “The 12th century Wise Woman and Mystic Hildegard of Bingen… testified most eloquently to the reality of this cosmic harmony… The words used by Hildegard to convey her vision are suggestive of Quintessence, which in ancient Greek philosophy has been described as celestial clarity from heaven, as the fiery upper atmosphere of the sun and stars, and as scarcely material in form.” (Pg. 228-230)

Daly’s books are of great interest to those studying Feminism and the Women’s Movement.

[Michel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Mary Daly provides some excellent critique on postmodernist scholarship (Foucault, Lancan, Butler) in this book. She refutes the idea that there can even be such a thing as "postmodern feminist theory", which is spot on in my opinion. The rest of the book however, is way too esoteric/theologian for my taste and comprehension.