The Philosopher Queens edited by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women #Review #Giveaway

 

 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.

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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.