Research Colloquium – Summer Term 2025

Research Colloquium – Summer Term 2025

The Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists at Paderborn University is pleased to announce its Research Colloquium for the Summer Semester 2025. This series offers a platform for scholars, students, and researchers to engage with pioneering work in feminist philosophy, gender studies, and intellectual history.​

Colloquium Details:

• Duration: April – July 2025

• Time: 16:00–18:00

• Location: TP8.1.46, Technologiepark 8, 33098 Paderborn

On May 05th, Dr. Michael Walschots, Postdoctoral Fellow at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, will present a fascinating insight into his research on the first female German philosopher, Johanna Charlotte Unzer (1725–1782).

Johanna Charlotte Unzer was a significant thinker who became a pioneer with her work Grundriß einer Weltweißheit für das Frauenzimmer (Outline of a Philosophy for Women) (1751). It is the first metaphysical treatise specifically written for women. Unzer’s philosophy combines logic and metaphysics and is influenced by Christian Wolff and Alexander Baumgarten. However, her unique goal was to make the complex content of philosophy more accessible to a female audience. In his lecture, Dr. Walschots will provide insights into Unzer’s life and work, addressing the following aspects: – The historical and philosophical context of Unzer’s thinking. – How Unzer presented Wolffian philosophy in a style that was more understandable for women, using clearer language, livelier examples, and a more “popular” approach. – The ways in which Unzer’s work differs from that of Wolff and Baumgarten, demonstrating that she was an independent thinker and an important figure in the history of philosophy.

The lecture, organized by Prof. Dr. Ruth E. Hagengruber, will take place in an open, academic atmosphere. Attendance is open to everyone – no prior knowledge or academic background is required.

About the Speaker: Dr. Michael Walschots is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Milan, where he serves as Assistant Principal Investigator on the ERC-funded project 18ETHICS: Ethics and Moral Life in the 18th Century. He has previously worked at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, among other institutions. His research focuses on moral philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries, exploring thinkers such as Kant, British moralists, and female philosophers of the Enlightenment. His recent work has concentrated on Johanna Charlotte Unzer, whose philosophical contributions he will explore in-depth during this lecture.