Women of Ideas: Interviews from Philosophy Bites

by Suki Finn (Editor)

Overview

Thirty leading women philosophers draw on and advance the rich heritage of the philosophical tradition to explore topics of pressing interest for today.

Women of Ideas is edited by Suki Finn, based upon interviews by David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton, from Philosophy Bites, the world's foremost philosophy podcast. These conversations illuminate diverse aspects of being human: personal, social, ethical, and political. The contributors discuss the relations between humans and animals, between genders, between tastes, between cultures, and between nations. They look at some of the things that are wrong with our world, such as injustice, deprivation, and bias; they consider the role of civility, trust, and consent in our interactions. There are reflections on the history of philosophy from Plato to Beauvoir, comparisons between Western philosophy and Buddhist philosophy, and discussion of philosophy in Africa. The volume concludes by investigating how philosophy works, how it makes progress, and its role in public life. Anyone interested in philosophical reflection on themselves and our world will find much to stimulate them here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198859925
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/01/2021
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,034,077
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Edited by Suki Finn, Lecturer in Philosophy Royal Holloway, University of London

Suki Finn is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London. She researches in the areas of metametaphysics, the philosophy of logic, the metaphysics of pregnancy, the epistemology of love, and feminist and queer theory. Suki has published her work in various philosophy journals, edited collections, and in the online magazine Aeon. Women of Ideas is Suki's first book. Suki is on the Executive Committee for the Society for Women in Philosophy UK, and on the Council for the Royal Institute of Philosophy. In her other life, Suki is a musician.

David Edmonds is the author or editor of a dozen philosophy books including The Murder of Professor Schlick, Would You Kill the Fat Man?, the children's novel (with Bertie Fraser) Undercover Robot, and (with John Eidinow) the international best-seller Wittgenstein's Poker. He is a BBC presenter/producer and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. He and Nigel Warburton founded Philosophy Bites in 2007. On Twitter he is @DavidEdmonds100.

Nigel Warburton is a freelance philosopher, and consultant editor for the online magazine Aeon and for the Five Books website. He was formerly a university philosophy lecturer for over twenty years. His books include A Little History of Philosophy, Philosophy: The Basics, Philosophy: The Classics, Thinking from A to Z, The Art Question, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. With David Edmonds he makes the podcast Philosophy Bites and they have already jointly edited three books based on the series. On Twitter he is @philosophybites.

Table of Contents

AnecdotesInterviewsAmia Srinivasan: What is a Woman? Janet Radcliffe Richards: Men's and Women's NaturesPatricia Smith Churchland: What neuroscience can teach us about moralityChristine M. Korsgaard: The Status of AnimalsAshwini Vasanthakumar: Do victims have obligations too? Miranda Fricker: Blame and Historic InjusticeKimberley Brownlee: Social DeprivationSarah Fine: The Right to ExcludeAnne Phillips: Multiculturalism and LiberalismJennifer Saul: Implicit BiasMartha C. Nussbaum: DisgustElisabeth Schellekens: Disagreement about TasteEmma Borg: Language and ContextRebecca Roache: SwearingTeresa M. Bejan: CivilityKatherine Hawley: TrustworthinessOnora O'Neill: Medical ConsentKatalin Farkas: Knowing a PersonJennifer Nagel: Intuitions about KnowledgeSusan James: Michel Foucault and KnowledgeKate Kirkpatrick: The Life and Work of Simone de BeauvoirKatherine J. Morris: Merleau-Ponty on the BodyAlison Gopnik: Hume and BuddhismKatrin Flikschuh: Philosophy in AfricaAngie Hobbs: Plato on WarHelen Beebee: Possible WorldsTamar Szabó Gendler: Why Philosophers use ExamplesRebecca Newberger Goldstein: Progress in PhilosophyMary Warnock: Philosophy and Public LifeBiographies

Editorial Reviews

04/05/2021

In this enlightening work, Finn, a philosophy lecturer at the University of London, compiles a “tasting menu” of women philosophers who have been interviewed on the Philosophy Bites podcast. Finn notes that philosophy has “the lowest representation of women in any discipline outside of science, technology, and engineering,” and, from the outset, the book nods to women’s issues, with a number of responses to “what is it like being a woman in philosophy?” (In true philosophical form, the answers vary greatly.) A wide range of intriguing philosophical inquiries is covered, including animal rights, aesthetics, and the appropriateness of swearing. For instance, Elisabeth Schelleken Dammann questions notions of “true” and “objective” in aesthetic judgments versus the natural sciences, while Katherine Hawley explores notions of trustworthiness based on gender assumptions. A basic knowledge of Western philosophy will aid readers, but the interviewees do an admirable job of communicating their ideas with clarity and conveying why these issues should matter to a layperson. Those interested in dipping their toes into philosophical waters would do well to peruse these bite-size takes. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"The interviews are expertly edited to make them clear and accessible, while remaining rigorous and intellectually rich. Both the seasoned philosopher and someone who has never picked up a philosophy book before will learn a great deal." — Rebecca Buxton, Times Higher Education

"A highly informative volume." — David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer

"Enlightening work... the interviewees do an admirable job of communicating their ideas with clarity and conveying why these issues should matter to a layperson. Those interested in dipping their toes into philosophical waters would do well to peruse these bite-size takes." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher