On Not Teaching the History of Philosophy

Abstract

Courses in the history of philosophy which exclude contributions made by women cunnot legitimately claim to teach this history. This is true, not merely because those histories are incomplete, but rather bemuse they give a biased account. I sketch the difficulties thus posed fur the profession, and offer suggestions fur developing a less biased, more accurate understanding of the hiswry of philosophy.At the Seventh Berkshire Conference on the History of Women (June 19871, Karen Warren (Macalester College, St. Paul, MN) challenged philosophy departments to integrate the history of philosophy curriculum and teach the works of women philosophers. Professor Warren warned that the likeliest method of integration would be to "add women and stir." In this paper, I will first suggest why "adding women and stirring" is a recipe for not teaching the history of philosophy. I will then explain why a modified version of the "add women and stir" model could, however, be a temporarily acceptable model.Finally, I will describe some projects which may contribute towards developing a literature which offers a reasonably accurate history of our discipline, a literature which can form the foundation not only for a history of philosophy curriculum, but for teaching within the discipline generally.Accounts of the two millennia history of our discipline are astonishingly incomplete and incorrect. Those accounts typically omit any mention of contributions made to philosophy by women. The histories I am referring to include those multi-volume series created in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as the standard English-language anthologies and introductory texts which are the mainstays of philosophy libraries and curricula. Through them, philosophy is effectively, but not explicitly, portrayed as an essentially male enterprise.Hypatia of Alexandria and Hildegard of Bingen were considered by their contemporaries to be philosophers, but later historians refer to Hypatia as a 4'mathematician/astronomer," and to Hildegard as a "theologiadmedical theorist." Yet what Hypatia and Hildegard wrote fit descriptions of philosophy in their respective eras. We must remind ourselves that the definition of the discipline philosophy has undergone significant metamorphosis over the Hypatia vol. 4, no.

Why Research and Teach Early Modern Women Philosophers?

“…Mary Ellen Waithe observes that the exclusion of women's contributions renders our histories inaccurate. Waithe suggests that a properly integrated history of philosophy must inquire whether women have a “different voice,” focused on care, love, and relationships (1989, 136). For example, universal sympathy is fundamental to Anne Conway's metaphysics.…”

“…For online resources, see Project Vox for background and Jonathan Bennett's Early Modern Texts for primary sources. Mary Ellen Waithe's (1991) Modern Women Philosophers is a critical contribution to the recovery project. There is also Margaret Atherton's (1994) Women Philosophers of the Early Modern Period, and Jacqueline Broad's (2002) Women Philosophers of the 17th Century.…”

Uma Interrogação Acerca Da Relação Entre a Filosofia E as Mulheres Na Universidade

“…Não se trata de abordar a história das mulheres filósofas como uma outra história à parte da história da filosofia, mas de inseri-la como parte de um diálogo entre ideias, temas e perspectivas que se aproximam em certos aspectos e se afastam em outros, como é próprio do filosofar. O que é importante nesta proposta é provocar e instigar nos estudantes de filosofia a busca por mais conhecimento e informações sobre as pensadoras esquecidas, inclusive sobre as condições e formas que propiciaram este esquecimento, consolidando as referências para a pesquisa neste campo (WAITHE, 1989). Para George Yance (2007), atua na filosofia uma voz dominante que ele denomina de "Voz do Oráculo", que é a voz que se auto determina a manter as fronteiras da filosofia bem definidas, estabelecendo quem e o que está dentro ou está fora.…”