Call for Papers - Women in 19th-Century Political Economy

Women’s Contributions to Political Economy during the Long Nineteenth Century
Editors: Karen Green (University of Melbourne) & Ruth Edith Hagengruber (Paderborn University)

The Journal of the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists (Brill) invites submissions for its 2026 issues, continuing its mission to foreground the intellectual contributions of women across the history of philosophy and the sciences.

THEMED ISSUE
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, there had been a significant shift in political thought. This shift arguably turned away from the Enlightenment conception of political progress as a vehicle for the moral progress of humanity and towards a more scientific conception of political and economic progress resulting from an understanding of how the economy works. Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ spurred growth in interest in political economy, and Jane Marcet and Harriet Martineau emerged as early popularisers and advocates of the new science of political economy that built on his work. By the middle of the century, critical texts written by women emerged in Italy, France, Germany and England, contributing to debates such as political economy, exploitation of workers, the nature of exploitation, the marriage market, the sexual economy, the defects and benefits of capitalism, women’s property rights, the nature and place of women’s work, and the economic role of the family. This call invites contributions that highlight the many political-economic interventions made by thinkers such as Marcet, Martineau, and numerous others whose work shaped debates across Europe and beyond.

OPEN ISSUE
The journal also welcomes submissions on any topic related to the history of women philosophers and scientists—from antiquity to the present day, from newly discovered sources to innovative interpretations and interdisciplinary approaches.

Deadline: 30 March 2026
Submission, Author Instructions & Editorial Manager: https://historyofwomenphilosophers.org/call-for-papers-volume-5-journal-of-the-history-of-women-philosophers-and-scientists/