Worth watching and discussing – it changed the way I think about The Wizard of Oz. I’m only surprised the speaker didn’t note that the forthcoming Oz movie looks set to be all about the (male ) wizard.
Author: povich
Women and the History of Analytic Philosophy
I will be teaching a new (for me) upper-level History of Analytic Philosophy course in the spring. I’d like to make sure I have some works by women philosophers, including feminist philosophers if possible, on my reading list. Could our readers lend me their expertise and make some suggestions? Some of the topics I plan to cover are listed below, though I’m entirely open to additions or revisions:
Moore on epistemology and analysis
Russell on logic and language
Wittgenstein’s Tractatus
Logical Positivism
(Btw, I’ve already thought of Marie McGinn and/or Cora Diamond for the Wittgenstein stuff.)
Your suggestions are much appreciated!
Amy Ferrer (APA Executive Director) on Diversity in Philosophy
An important and encouraging post on diversity in philosophy by Amy Ferrer, the APA’s recently hired Executive Director, who is currently guest blogging over at Leiter Reports.
Femen: Ukraine’s Topless Warriors
Founded in Kiev in 2008 to protest the country’s burgeoning sex industry (“Ukraine is not a brothel!” was the slogan of their first — and still clothed — demonstration, which aimed to dissuade foreigners from visiting prostitutes in the capital), Femen has since evolved into a vanguard of militant activists who have dubbed themselves the storozhevyye suki demokratii (the “watch-bitches of democracy”) and “modern-day Amazons,” some of whom demonstrate topless to, says their website “defend with their chests sexual and civic equality throughout the world.”
The article ends with this remark: ‘Just what de Beauvoir would have thought of topless demonstrations is anyone’s guess.’ Perhaps our erudite readership would care to weigh in? This seems unduly dismissive about the possibility of anticipating and reconstructing the views of a very important philosopher.
Sexism at Science Journal Nature
A pretty striking statement about the underrepresentation of women from the Editors at Nature. A cause for cautious optimism? Might have been nice if they’d said more about what those ‘unconscious factors’ are, but the resulting heuristic is still a promising one:
We believe that in commissioning articles or in thinking about who is doing interesting or relevant work, for all of the social factors already mentioned, and possibly for psychological reasons too, men most readily come to editorial minds. The September paper speculated about an unconscious assumption that women are less competent than men. A moment’s reflection about past and present female colleagues should lead most researchers to correct any such assumption.
We therefore believe that there is a need for every editor to work through a conscious loop before proceeding with commissioning: to ask themselves, “Who are the five women I could ask?”
Thanks JI!
Parents Versus Climate Change
As someone who remains ambivalent about having children (and as someone with young nieces and nephews and friends with kids), this is a topic of deep personal concern to me, as I’m sure it is to many readers. The diagnosis of widespread ignorance and ‘soft denial’ seems pretty plausible, although chastising people for being bad parents seems to me fundamentally unhelpful. Plus, isn’t the sense of deep political powerlessness pretty well justified? It certainly seems that way in the current political and economic climate. For my part I find it very difficult to imagine a day when any government would place long-term interests like saving the planet ahead of short-term economic concerns, particularly when most governments are only in office for 5-10 years (though maybe this is just a tempting false dilemma…)
Your thoughts welcome, especially if you can think of a reason not to despair.
Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Spotted on the campus of Pomona College. I didn’t make it to the real thing, but I’m sure the reality isn’t nearly as cool as the Ally McBeal song-and-dance version I have in my head.
Why Women Still Can’t Have It All
Really interesting article in this month’s Atlantic magazine by Anne-Marie Slaughter. I look forward to hearing our readers’ thoughts. Here’s a quick excerpt:
Women of my generation have clung to the feminist credo we were raised with, even as our ranks have been steadily thinned by unresolvable tensions between family and career, because we are determined not to drop the flag for the next generation. But when many members of the younger generation have stopped listening, on the grounds that glibly repeating “you can have it all” is simply airbrushing reality, it is time to talk.
I still strongly believe that women can “have it all” (and that men can too). I believe that we can “have it all at the same time.” But not today, not with the way America’s economy and society are currently structured. My experiences over the past three years have forced me to confront a number of uncomfortable facts that need to be widely acknowledged—and quickly changed.
On News-stands Now(ish): Scientific American Mind
Did anyone pick up a copy of this special issue by any chance? And if so, is it as bad as it sounds? (e.g.: WE chaps make the jokes, and YOU ladies laugh, all right?)
UPDATE: Apologies for the excessive size, I’ve trimmed it down now. Also, I saw this on a news-stand in Cambridge a matter of a few weeks ago, so I’m surprised to discover in comments that it’s from 2010. Maybe just overstock being sold off? Anyway, thank you to commenters for the links. Sounds like there was a touch of the usual sensationalist false advertising being employed here.
Photoshop by Adobé
This will make a handy little addition to Feminism classes… (Thanks RW!)
Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
Feminist Philosophers 