Ruth E. Hagengruber fights "Philofolly" at the Zagreb Summer School 2021 today with a talk on rewriting the history of philosophy to include the ideas of women philosophers.

“Our view into the history of philosophy is reframed by categories of contemporary and changing interests, philosophical as well as of interests of the day. However, what is maintained, which interests are realized in the canon that teaches us? Philosophy of the presence is not the book on the top of the pile containing all underlying ones, it is exactly the contrary to that. The book storage, that is the history of philosophy provides a kingdom of ideas to pursue insights alternative to those of the day, others we possibly never have heard of. It presents us worlds, we possibly never have stepped into such a wealth of new ideas is offered by the study of the history of women philosophers.” – Ruth E. Hagengruber

Lady Reason criticizes Christine de Pizan for idolatrizing philosophers, who « like to quote the authors they have read», writing «philofolly», instead of «philosophy». The exclusion of women philosophers from the history of philosophy is a result of the centuries-old practice of gendered-minded self-interest of certain groups, supported by a culturally established patriarchal hierarchy.

After centuries of exclusion, the perspective is now changing. Today we have access to valuable sources which show that the history of women philosophers stretches back as far as the history of philosophy itself, from Antiquity up to the present. We start re-reading the history of philosophy with astonishing results. In my talk, I will focus on the critique of the Bible and the male God, presented in writings from 1500 to the Enlightenment. The history of women philosophers as a methodical approach to philosophy turns out to be an indispensable means to widen philosophical insights.

More information on the summer school can be found here.