We are delighted to announce that Professor Fiona Jenkins (Centre for Moral, Social and Political Theory, ANU School of Philosophy) will be presenting the inaugural Women in Philosophy Lecture at Macquarie's Wallumattagal Campus North Ryde on Wednesday 8th November, 5.00 - 7.00 pm.

What is philosophy's problem?

Philosophy's gender gap is often explained by offering a strong characterisation of the qualities of its practitioners and of its proper disciplinary nature. For example, Louise Antony (2012) tells us that philosophers are particularly prone to ‘over-confidence bias’ for they ‘regard themselves as smarter than others in the humanities and think of themselves as particularly sensitive to fallacious or ungrounded reasoning’. Explanation of the barriers to women in philosophy regularly likens the discipline to maths or sciences, permitting explanation of women’s poor representation in terms of ‘gender schemas’ that are ‘male-associated’. Professor Jenkins will suggest that these patterns of explanation may be doing hidden work to protect as much as criticise aspects of the discipline. By exploring the terms on which philosophy is read as a discipline more aligned with maths and science than with the ‘other humanities’, she hopes to open up some fresh perspectives on how we understand philosophy’s ‘problem’ and what to do about it.

The lecture will be Chaired by Emeritus Professor Catriona Mackenzie (Philosophy, Macquarie University) and with an Introduction by Nicole Gower, Vice-President, Professional Services and Executive Group sponsor for Macquarie University's Gender Equity Strategy.

Click here to register for the event.