femaleUnveiling the Legacy: Contributions of Women Political Philosophers Throughout History

Title: Unveiling the Legacy: Contributions of Women Political Philosophers Throughout History

Introduction:

In the vast field of philosophy, female thinkers’ contributions have frequently been eclipsed by those of their male counterparts. This negligence extends to political philosophy, where women’s voices have traditionally been underrepresented. This tale, however, is incomplete. In this investigation, we shed light on the intellectual capability of ancient and modern female political philosophers, emphasizing their major influence on political philosophy.

Ancient Female Political Philosophers:

Aspasia

There is historical evidence to substantiate Aspasia’s relationship with the philosopher Socrates, but it is important to stress that she was not a philosopher herself. Aspasia was a prominent figure in ancient Greece, particularly in Athens in the fifth century BCE. She was well-known for her intelligence, education, and rhetorical eloquence. However, the notion that Plato identified her as Socrates’ instructor may be erroneous.

Diotima

Diotima, on the other hand, is a more mysterious character. Plato mentions her in his book “Symposium” as a knowledgeable woman who taught Socrates about love. However, scholars disagree on whether Diotima was a genuine character or a literary fabrication of Plato to communicate philosophical concepts. Because of a lack of tangible historical evidence, Diotima’s existence as a genuine person is unclear.

Although Aspasia’s historical presence is more certain, Diotima’s status is more dubious, and she could be a fictional figure invented by Plato for philosophical purposes.

Hypatia of Hypatia (c. 360–415 CE):

A mathematician and philosopher in ancient Alexandria, Hypatia challenged societal norms through her intellectual pursuits. While her contributions went beyond political philosophy, her intellectual pursuits questioned societal conventions of the time.

Modern Female Political Philosophers:

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797):

Wollstonecraft, widely regarded as one of the earliest feminist philosophers, wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1792), in which she advocated for women’s education and equality.

Political and Moral Discourse: Exploring Wollstonecraft’s Intellectual Odyssey

Mary Wollstonecraft’s investigation of political and moral works progresses through several stages distinguished by critical interaction and intellectual maturation. Her political philosophy reflections began with a commendation of Richard Price’s rational patriotism, which defends universal compassion within Christianity. Wollstonecraft and Price shared a commitment to religious liberty and the removal of discriminatory laws. However, when Edmund Burke joined the picture, the ideological landscape changed. Her analysis of Burke’s critique of Price indicated a complex viewpoint; she accepted Price’s provocative sermon while rejecting Burke’s negative assessment of the French Revolution.

The core of the debate between Wollstonecraft, Price, and Burke was their differing perspectives on civil society and political power. Wollstonecraft and Price envisioned a transparent, rule-based structure, whereas Burke accepted the ineffable complexity of societal connections. Burke warned against broad reforms, emphasizing the need to maintain established norms guided by experience and prudence. Wollstonecraft’s following works, most notably “Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” expanded the discourse by combining political and moral themes. She questioned conventional norms, looking into family life, marriage, and the necessity for a new interaction between men and women to establish a really moral society.

Source: Link

Hannah Arendt (1906–1975):

Arendt made significant contributions to political theory, particularly her writings on totalitarianism and the character of political action. Her work “The Human Condition” (1958) is a staple of political philosophy.

Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986):

While de Beauvoir was best recognized as an existentialist philosopher, she also wrote extensively about feminism and politics. Her book “The Second Sex” (1949) is a fundamental work of feminist philosophy.

Iris Marion Young (1949–2006):

Young was a political theorist whose work focused on justice, democracy, and the inclusion of underrepresented voices. Her work “Justice and the Politics of Difference” (1990) has influenced contemporary political philosophy.

Martha Nussbaum (born 1947):

Nussbaum made substantial contributions to political philosophy, ethics, and emotions. Her capacities approach, as detailed in publications such as “Women and Human Development” (2000), addresses concerns of gender justice.

INTRODUCTION: FEMINISM AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Women globally face tremendous challenges that limit their core human rights and abilities. Women are frequently marginalized in a variety of ways, including inadequate nutrition, poor health, vulnerability to abuse, and limited access to education and employment prospects. When attempting to enter the workforce, individuals face barriers such as intimidation, discrimination, and harassment. Legal remedies are frequently inadequate in resolving these situations. Women face impediments to successful political involvement. Legal inequities still exist, affecting property rights, contract-making ability, association rights, movement, and religious freedom. Women confront a “double day,” restricting opportunities for personal growth as they balance work with full responsibility for housekeeping and childcare. Emotional well-being suffers, with fewer opportunities for a fear-free life and good relationships, particularly in circumstances of forced marriages with no choice of escape. These unequal social and political conditions contribute to women having fewer human qualities than men.

Reference: Nussbaum, M. (2000). INTRODUCTION: FEMINISM AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. In Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach (The Seeley Lectures, pp. 1–33). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511841286.002

Source: Link

Angela Davis (born 1944):

Davis, an activist and philosopher, writes about racism, class, and gender, challenging societal structures for justice.

Angela Davis (born 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author who rose to prominence during the 1960s counterculture movement. She is well-known for her activism in the civil rights movement, her affiliation with the Black Panther Party, and her support for jail reform, women’s rights, and racial justice. Davis has also taught at numerous institutions and written several books about racism, class, and gender.

For more information about Angela Davis, you can visit the following links:

Biography of Angela Davis on Biography.com: Angela Davis Biography

Angela Davis on Wikipedia: Angela Davis Wikipedia

These sources contain in-depth information about Angela Davis’ life, activism, and contributions to many social and political issues.

Cheryl Chen

Senior Lecturer on Philosophy

Faculty Dean, Dunster House

Zoë Johnson King

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Research Interests:

Ethics, Epistemology, Metaethics (especially Moral Psychology).

Focus Area:

Non-ideal moral psychology, examining motivation and praise for individuals navigating a morally complex and unjust world.

Key Topics Explored:

Nature and value of explicitly moral motivation.

Implicitly moral motivation and its significance.

Strategies for regulating actions and managing beliefs amid moral uncertainty.

Evaluation of well-meaning individuals who act poorly due to moral mistakes.

Unique Perspective:

Emphasis on praiseworthiness over blameworthiness.

Exploration of what it means for individuals to merit approval based on motivations and actions.

Investigation into the interrelation between actions and motivations.

Unconventional Focus:

Interest in conditions affecting the appropriateness of expressions of praise, irrespective of the praiseworthiness of the praised individual.

Advocacy for setting higher standards beyond mere avoidance of blameworthiness.

Philosophical Insight:

Recognition of the complexity of human nature, acknowledging flaws while highlighting redeeming qualities.

Aspiration to help individuals see the positive aspects amid moral uncertainty and complexity.

This researcher’s work is a nuanced exploration of moral psychology, to guide persons through moral obstacles and develop a deeper grasp of praiseworthiness in the face of moral complexity.

Personal website: Link

Samantha Matherne

Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of the Humanities

Personal website: Link

Gina Schouten

Professor of Philosophy

She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then taught for three years at Illinois State University before joining Harvard. Her research interests focus on social and political philosophy, as well as ethics. Her most long-term research initiatives focus on political liberalism and legitimacy, educational justice, and gendered labor divisions. Her work, Liberalism, Neutrality, and the Gendered Division of Labor, was recently published by Oxford University Press. She has also written about issues of justice in higher education, diversity issues in philosophy, the ethics and politics of abortion, the use of social policy to reduce animal consumption and experimentation, the practice of non-ideal theory in political philosophy, and other feminist philosophy topics.

Website: Link

Susanna Siegel

Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy

Research Interests: Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Philosophy of Language

Susanna Siegel received her PhD from Cornell University. She currently works on topics in the philosophy of mind and epistemology. Her books The Contents of Visual Experience (2010) and The Rationality of Perception (2017) were both published by Oxford University Press. Other publications include:

“Inference without Reckoning”. In M. Balcerak-Jackson and B. Balcerak-Jackson, eds. New Essays on Reasoning. Oxford University Press.

“Rich or Thin?” Debate with Alex Byrne about the contents of perception. In Contemporary Debates in the Philosophy of Perception. Ed. B. Nanay. Routledge. 2016.

“How is Wishful Seeing like Wishful Thinking?” In Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. 2016.

“Epistemic Charge” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. 2015.

“Epistemic Evaluability and Perceptual Farce” In J. Zeimbekis and A. Raftopoulos. New Essays in Cognitive Penetration. Oxford University Press. 2015.

“Cognitive Penetrability: Modularity, Epistemology, and Ethics” with Zoe Jenkin. Review of Psychology and Philosophy. 2015.

The Epistemology of Selection Effects (2013) in Oxford Studies in Epistemology. Ed. T. Gendler. Book Symposium on The Contents of Visual Experience. With comments by John Campbell, Jesse Prinz and Charles Travis.

“The Epistemic Impact of the Etiology of Experience”, forthcoming in Philosophical Studies as a Symposium with responses by Richard Fumerton, Michael Huemer and Matthew McGrath.

“Cognitive Penetrability and Perceptual Justification”, Noûs 2012

“The Visual Experience of Causation”, Philosophical Quarterly (2009)

“The Epistemic Conception of Hallucination”, in F. Macpherson, Ed, Disjunctivism: Perception, Knowledge and Action (Oxford University Press, 2008)

“Indiscriminability and the Phenomenal”, Philosophical Studies 120 (2004)

“Which Properties are Represented in Perception?” in T. Gendler and J. Hawthorne, Perceptual Experience (Oxford University Press, 2006)

“The Role of Perception in Demonstrative Reference,” Philosophers’ Imprint (2002)

“Subject and Object in the Contents of Visual Experience,” Philosophical Review 115:3 (2006)

“How Does Visual Phenomenology Constrain Object-seeing?” Australasian Journal of Philosophy (2006)

“Direct Realism and Perceptual Consciousness,” Philosophy & Phenomenological Research (2006)

“Presupposition and Policing in Complex Demonstratives,” Noûs 40 (2006)

“The Phenomenology of Efficacy”, Philosophical Topics (2006)

Professor Siegel’s website: Link

Alison Simmons, Samuel H. Wolcott Professor of Philosophy: Link

Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor, Director of Edmond J Safra Center for Ethics: Link

Christine M. Korsgaard, Arthur Kingsley Porter Research Professor of Philosophy

Christine M. Korsgaard is a well-known philosopher whose work focuses on moral philosophy and psychology. She is currently a professor at Harvard University and has written numerous notable books and articles on Kantian ethics, animal ethics, and personal identity.

Some of her most notable publications include “The Sources of Normativity,” “Self-Constitution: Agency, Identity, and Integrity,” and “Creating the Kingdom of Ends.” Korsgaard’s work is renowned for its meticulous research and creative perspectives on moral philosophy.

Website: Link

Source: Harvard Department of Philosophy: Link

Melissa Lane, Class of 1943 Professor of Politics. Director, University Center for Human Values

FIELDS OF STUDY

Political Theory

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Ancient Greek and Roman Political Thought

Plato

Aristotle

Climate Change

Environmental Political Theory

Modern Political Thought

PRINCETON POLITICS: Link

Anca Gheaus

Rank: Assistant Professor

Research Area: Political Philosophy

Website: Link

Anna Loretoni: Link

Wendy Salkin, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and, by courtesy, of Law: Link

Debra Satz, Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of H&S

Marta Sutton Weeks Professor of Ethics in Society

Professor, by courtesy, of Political Science

Research Areas: Political Philosophy: Link

JULIA BORCHERDING: Link

Professor Clare Chambers, a Professor of Political Philosophy and a Fellow of Jesus College at the University of Cambridge: Link

Prof. Rae Langton: A Brief Overview

Philosophical Focus:

Specialization in speech, speech acts, and social justice.

Academic Journey:

Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge and Fellow of Newnham since 2013.

Notable positions at the University of Edinburgh (1999–2004) and MIT (2004–2013).

Personal Background:

Born and raised in India, with Australian parents who were lay missionaries.

Education in India, Australia, and the USA (Princeton, PhD 1995).

Dual Australian and UK nationality, married to philosopher Richard Holton with two daughters.

Career Highlights:

Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2013, British Academy in 2014.

Recognized as one of Prospect Magazine’s ‘World Thinkers 2014.’

John Locke Lectures in Oxford (2015) and The Mind Senior Research Fellow for 2015–16.

Career Lowlights:

Early challenges, including a nameless birth certificate and initial academic setbacks.

Despite a failed initial PhD dissertation evaluation, her work was later published as ‘Kantian Humility.’

Notable Publications:

Author of ‘Kantian Humility: Our Ignorance of Things in Themselves’ (1998).

‘Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification’ (2009).

Recent Achievements:

Elected as the Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge in April 2017.

Research Interests:

Extensive work in moral and political philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of law, speech act theory, and feminist philosophy.

Emphasis on speech acts and their impact on social justice, exploring hate speech, pornography, and their effects on social norms.

Ongoing projects in ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and the history of philosophy, with a specific focus on empathy and imagination in aesthetics and ethics.

Maintains a strong interest in Kantian philosophy, addressing the metaphysics of intrinsic properties and asserting the concept of epistemic humility.

Profile: Link

Addressing the Issue:

The underrepresentation of female political philosophers requires deliberate remedy. In the classroom, encouraging open conversations and incorporating varied opinions into the curriculum are critical measures. Inviting guest speakers or experts, such as scholars who specialize in the contributions of female philosophers, can provide useful insights. To challenge prejudices and broaden students’ knowledge, offer online materials, articles, and films highlighting the achievements of female philosophers.

How to Address the Issue:

Classroom Discussions:

Foster open discussions in your classroom about the contributions of female philosophers. Highlight their ideas and how they’ve shaped political thought.

Curriculum Integration:

Ensure that your course materials include diverse perspectives, including works by female political philosophers.

Guest Speakers or Panels:

Invite scholars or experts who specialize in the contributions of female philosophers to speak in your class.

Online Resources:

Share online resources, articles, and videos that showcase the achievements of female philosophers with your students.

Highlight Achievements:

Regularly highlight the achievements of female philosophers, perhaps through a “Philosopher of the Month” series that includes both male and female philosophers.

By actively highlighting the contributions of female political philosophers, we may assist to combat preconceptions and ensure that students understand the breadth and depth of philosophical thought across genders.

Conclusion:

By revealing the legacy of female political philosophers, we not only remove historical errors but also broaden our understanding of political philosophy. Their ideas affected and continue to shape our cultural discourse, reminding us that different viewpoints are required for a thorough and meaningful investigation of the complicated realm of political thought. As we honor these women’s achievements, we pave the road for a more inclusive and enlightened future of philosophical study.

Some useful resources:

10 Women of Philosophy, and Why You Should Know Them: Link

3 Incredible Female Philosophers Who Changed the World: Link

List of women philosophers: Link