Welcome to Philosophia.
This is a blog about being a woman and being a professional philosopher. If you are in the philosophy world, you probably know that women are severely underrepresented, and the numbers don’t seem to be growing. If you are a female philosopher, you are probably one of only a few women in your department. I am one of three female graduate students, in a department of about twenty. Three of the fifteen faculty members are also women. A lot can be said about the numbers alone. Many question the cause of this situation and ask whether it is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Others are convinced that it is a problem and is reflective of discrimination at some level. This is not a site dedicated to solving these problems or providing statistical information. Although, I’m sure these are issues that will come up as discussion unfolds.
I want to talk about what it is like to be a woman in philosophy. I know my own experience but I want to know what it is like for other women. I do not assume that these stories will be mostly negative. My experience in philosophy has been an incredibly positive one, but whether negative or positive, it cannot be denied that our experience is different. I want to find out how it's different and what it's like - whatever that may be. My hope is that we can create a collection of stories, an informal narrative on our lives and our profession. If you are a female philosopher, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment, submit a post, or let me know what you think about the project.
