The history of women philosophers stretches back as far as the history of philosophy itself. The presence as well as the absence of women philosophers throughout the course of history parallels the history of philosophy as it is commonly known.
The fluctuations in history, the ups and downs which philosophy was also subjected to, are also reflected in the history of the female philosophers. There are periods in which philosophy flourished, for example during antiquity and the early modern period, and these are the periods where an impressive number of female thinkers can be encountered,
Edith Stein, Hannah Arendt, and Simone de Beauvoir did not appear from nowhere, they were not the first of their kind, but they based their work on their predecessors, standing, so to speak, on the shoulders of female titans before them. Each of them made references to their precursors in history.[ … ] the true history of female philosophers is different from the one we are familiar with, and yet it actively existed and was known to some throughout the ages.
-Ruth Edith Hagengruber, “Cutting through the Veil of Ignorance. Rewriting the History of Philosophy.” The Monist (2015) 98: 34–42. DOI: 10.1093/monist/onu005
Rewriting the history of philosophy has been our ongoing mission, and today, on International Women’s Day, we want to amplify the recognition of all women philosophers.
Take this day to look through our Directory. It is a collection of at least 280 women philosophers and scientists from antiquity to modern philosophy. Not only does this help to make more women visible, but each profile includes their story and their work.
You can also watch our videos on our YouTube channel. Take the opportunity to learn from other scientists or listen to Ruth E. Hagengruber’s lectures. Our YouTube channel features a variety of women philosophers and in-depth analyses of their work. These videos are an important step in digitising the work of women philosophers and research.
In addition, we have created an Encyclopedia of Concise Concepts that include only women philosophers. You can click through the women philosophers and learn about the specific concepts they wrote about. The entries are written by scholars who are continuously working on these women philosophers and have taken the time to complete their long-term research on a concept.
We encourage everyone to learn about the hidden history of women philosophers, in the hope of cutting through the veil of ignorance.
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