The Daily Ant hosts a weekly series, Philosophy Phridays, in which real philosophers share their thoughts at the intersection of ants and philosophy. This is the seventeenth contribution in the series, submitted posthumously by the Right Honorable Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.

[Editor’s note: a〈◊〉symbol indicates missing text]

Of the Ant

Mark but the little Ant, how she doth run,
In what a busie motion 〈◊〉 goeth on:
As if the ordered all the Worlds Affaires;
When tis but onely one small Straw shee bearcs.
But when they find a Flye, which on the ground lyes dead,
Lord, how they stir; so full is every Head.
Some with their Feet, and Mouths, draw it along,
Others their Tailes, and Shoulders thrust it on.
And if a Stranger Ant comes on that way,
Shee helpes them strait, nere asketh if shee may
Nor staies to ask Rewardes, but is well pleas’d:
Thus paies her selfe with her owne Paines, their Ease.
They live as the Lacedemonians did,
All is in Common, nothing is forbid.
No Private Feast, but altogether meet,
Whole some, though Plaine, in Publick do they eat.
They have no Envie, all Ambition’s downe,
There is no Superiority, or Clowne.
No Stately Palaces for Pride to dwell,
Their House is Common, called the 〈◊〉 Hill.
All help to build, and keep it in repaire,
No ‘speciall work-men, all Labourers they are.
No 〈◊〉 keep, no 〈◊〉 they have to sell,
For what each one doth eat, all welcome is, and well.
No Jealousie, each takes his Neighbours Wife,
Without Offence, which never breedeth 〈◊〉.
Nor fight they Duels, nor do give the Lye,
Their greatest Honour is to live, not dye.
For they, to keep in life, through Dangers run,
To get Provisions in ‘gainst Winter comes.
But many loose their Life, as Chance doth fall,
None is perpetuall, Death devoures all.

Right Honorable Margaret Newcastle, Duchess of Newcastle is a 17th-century English philosopher also known for her poetry, science fiction writing, and scientific work. For more on the Duchess, check out her academic website.

The Daily Ant hosts a weekly series, Philosophy Phridays, in which real philosophers share their thoughts at the intersection of ants and philosophy. This is the sixteenth contribution in the series, submitted by Dustin Crummett.

Ants and the Problem of Evil

Theists are people who, like me, believe in an all-good and all-powerful God. Theists face the problem of evil: the problem of explaining why, if God is good and all-powerful, the world is such a miserable place. Philosophers considering the problem of evil focus overwhelmingly on the suffering of human beings, and, somewhat less frequently, the suffering of easily likeable non-human animals, such as fawns. But some people have asked why God would allow what they took to be the suffering of insects and similar creatures. Charles Darwin told his contemporary Asa Grey^[1] that he could not understand why a good God would create Ichumonidae wasps, some of which lay their eggs within caterpillars, their larvae eating the caterpillars from the inside out upon hatching. And Robert Frost, in his poem “Design,” relayed seeing a spider eat a moth, writing:

What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?—
If design govern in a thing so small.^[2]

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The Daily Ant hosts a weekly series, Philosophy Phridays, in which real philosophers share their thoughts at the intersection of ants and philosophy. This is the fifteenth contribution in the series, submitted by Dr. Michael Rea.

Ants and the Hiddenness of God

If God loves us, why doesn’t God openly communicate with us?  This question resonates with a lot of people. My first clue as to the depth of its impact came in college, when a friend of mine broke down in tears over it.  “I have served God my entire life,” she said, “and God is supposed to be my heavenly father. So why can’t he, just once, whisper ‘I love you’?”

An ant’s search for God. Image: Andrea Lucky/Myrmecos

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The Daily Ant hosts a weekly series, Philosophy Phridays, in which real philosophers share their thoughts at the intersection of ants and philosophy. This is the fourteenth contribution in the series, submitted by Amber Carlson.

She’s a Man(t)eater

What do Hall and Oates, anti-feminists, and myrmecologists have in common?

They’re each concerned with “maneaters.”

Hall and Oates are famous for their depiction of a woman who is beautiful, in control of her sexuality, but uses men for her financial benefit. “The beauty is there,” they say, but “money’s the matter” and so “if you’re in it for love, you ain’t gonna get too far.” But in addition to simply being a disappointing love interest for some, they liken her to a wild animal saying that “a beast is in her heart.” Any man interested in her must be warned. After all, “she’s deadly, man. She could really rip your world apart.” An empowering anthem for some women, but a fatal warning to men: “Watch out boy, she’ll chew you up,” they say. “She’s a maneater.”

Female ants surround a male. Hall & Oates say “Watch out!” Photo: Alex Wild

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