Women in Philosophy

What is the course about?

This course considers the social and political insights of each of these thinkers, and their interventions into central philosophical debates, particularly focusing on their idea of the ‘home’. To do this, we will examine texts from each of these thinkers and learn about the context in which they write.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

Introduction: Women Philosophers and the Concept of ‘Home’
In this introductory session, we will consider the complex relation between social and political philosophy and women in philosophy.


Angela Davis, ‘The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework: A Working-Class Perspective’ (1981)
In this chapter, taken from Women, Race and Class, Davis traces the historical emergence of the white bourgeois ‘housewife’ under capitalism in contrast to black women who have historically had the ‘double burden of wage labour and housework’.

Julia Kristeva, excerpts from ‘Strangers to Ourselves’ (1988)
In this work, Kristeva challenges our contemporary notions of the ‘foreign’ and of ‘home’, particularly as it relates to questions of immigration and ideas of personal and national identity.


Agnes Heller: ‘Where Are We At Home?’ (1995)
In this essay, Heller queries modern conceptions of ‘home’ and relates it to what she regards to be the philosophical privileging of questions of ‘time’ over ‘space’.


Gayarti Chakravarty Spivak, ‘Imperative to Re-imagine the Planet’ (2012)
In this lecture, Spivak argues that we need a concept of the ‘planetary’ in order to enable a ‘shared practice’ under globalisation.


Nancy Fraser, chapter ‘Care Guzzler: Why Social Reproduction is a Major Site of Capitalist Crisis’, from Cannibal Capitalism (2022)
In this chapter, Fraser examines the way in which capitalism relies on carework within the home, thereby bringing this sphere into crisis.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

Have an understanding of the work and context of each of these thinkers, and consider the way in which they contribute to twentieth and twenty first century social and political philosophy.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is a beginner’s course and does not require any prior knowledge. An open mind and a willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The course will take place online. Recommended weekly reading is set but not obligatory.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no extra costs but a pen and paper is recommended.