Today I have something a little different on the blog. It takes a look at women writers and thinkers throughout the ages whose contribution to philosophical thinking has been invisible to the largely male canon. This collection of writings by influential women was published by Unbound on 17th September. I also have the opportunity for you to win a print copy of The Philosopher Queens. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post (UK only)
Where are all the women philosophers?
•A beautifully
illustrated introduction to
twenty of the
most important and under-represented women philosophers,
from 400BCE to the present day
•In
2015, women accounted
for only 22%
of philosophy professors
at the top
20 US universities; in
some fields of
philosophy there has
been almost no
increase in the number of women since the 1970s
•Three of
the most comprehensive histories of philosophy published in the last 20 years
have made little or no mention of women
The history of philosophy has not done
women justice: you’ve probably heard the names Plato, Kant, Nietzsche and Locke
–but what about Hypatia, Arendt, Oluwole and Young?
The Philosopher Queens is
a long-awaited book
about the lives
and works of
women in philosophy by women in
philosophy. This collection brings to centre stage twenty prominent women whose
ideas have had a profound –but for the most part uncredited –impact on the
world.
You’ll learn about
Ban Zhao, the
first woman historian
in ancient Chinese
history; Angela Davis, perhaps
the most iconic symbol of the American Black Power Movement; Azizah Y.
al-Hibri, known for
examining the intersection
of Islamic law
and gender equality;
and many more.
For anyone who has
wondered where the women philosophers are, or anyone curious about the history
of ideas – it's time to meet the philosopher queens.
My Thoughts
This is a book to savour, to dip in and out of, to provoke thought and send you off to look again. Because of my interests, I was particularly drawn to the chapter on Mary Wollstonecraft which outlines an absolutely remarkable life. Her social and social, political and literary thoughts ring out across the centuries. I was also surprised to learn that her daughter, Mary Godwin married Percy Shelley and went on to write Frankenstein. Another favourite chapter for me is the one on George Eliot (Mary Anne Eliot).This is an author who I have quoted to my own daughters, for her social views and thoughts about marriage and finding a satisfying path in life. Finally, I was also drawn to Mary Warnock's chapter as I had come across her contribution to thinking about special educational needs in education. It was interesting to realise that her interests around ethics included her belief that philosophers should take into account the practical side of life.
A major strength of the compilation is that it extends your thinking beyond what is familiar and comfortable. There are contributions from a range of thinkers from different countries and times. Each chapter is written in a clear and succinct manner which makes it accessible. The illustrations are gorgeous, coming at the start of each chapter. There is also a useful resource at the back which points the way to further reading for each woman. This is a book which will interest the lay reader through its breadth and accessibility, at the same time, showing scholarship for those whose interests are more academic.
In short: A book about women philosophers by women philosophers.
About the Author
Rebecca Buxton and
Lisa Whiting met
at secondary school, where
they discovered a
shared passion for philosophy. Rebecca is a DPhil student
at the University of Oxford, where
her research focuses
on the political rights of refugees and forced
migrants. Lisa is completing her MSc in Government, Policy and Politics at
Birkbeck, University of London. Alongside studying, she works as a policy
advisor in areas concerning practical ethics. You can follow them here: Twitter-@RebeccaBuxton
| Twitter - @lisawhiting_
| Twitter @ThePhiloQueens
Book link: Amazon UK
Thanks to Rebecca Buxton, Lisa Whiting, Unbound, and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Check out these great bloggers!
Giveaway (UK only)
To win a print copy of The Philosopher Queens just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings . Closing Date is 29th September 2020 and there is one winner. Good luck!
*Terms and Conditions – UK only. The winner will be selected at
random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right
to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with
third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed
to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Thanks so much for the blog tour support x
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