Past Events
March 21, 2014: Workshop on (Lack of) Diversity in Philosophy
Keynote speakers: Carrie Figdor and Rachel McKinnon
Carrie Figdor, “Gender Diversity in Philosophy: Data, Initiatives, and Common Concerns” (click for transcript of talk)
Abstract: A high-profile philosopher of mind makes a quick exit from his job following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by a female graduate student. A high-profile philosophy department has its chair removed and its graduate program put on hold after an outside team called in to assess the climate for women in the department reports findings of demoralized, harassed and bullied faculty and students. What’s going on in the tiny world of academic philosophy? In this talk, I’ll present some data on the status of women in philosophy, what’s being done to address gender discrimination issues, and some of the common worries and responses raised about these efforts.
Dr Figdor is Associate Professor at the University of Iowa Department of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, and research fellow at the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh AY2013-14. She is known for her work in philosophy of mind and cognitive science, as well as neuroethics, and has published several important papers on the representation of women in philosophy.
Rachel McKinnon, “‘Allies,’ Active Bystanders, and Gaslighting” (click for transcript of talk)
Abstract: In a recent blog post, Mia McKenzie convincingly argues for the end of the term and concept of “allies.” Like her, I’m done with allies. In this talk, I raise some ways in which ally culture has resulted in a number of very serious problems for those that “allies” seek to support. Drawing on real-life examples, I connect ally culture to a lack of accountability and a worrying prevalence of gaslighting, which is a kind of epistemic injustice. In its place, I suggest that we focus on people being good active bystanders, “currently operating in solidarity with” those they seek to support, as McKenzie puts it.
Dr McKinnon is currently Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston, working primarily in epistemology. Her book on the norms of assertion is under contract with Palgrave Macmillan. She is also widely recognized for her work on a variety of issues in feminism and feminist philosophy, particularly issues relating to gender and queer identities.
March 9, 2012: (Why Aren’t There More) Women in Philosophy