Some thoughts on Women in Philosophy

Women in Philosophy.

Two quotes from Plato.

We went in then and found Socrates just released from his fetters and Xanthippe—you know her—with his little son in her arms, sitting beside him. Now when Xanthippe saw us, she cried out and said the kind of thing that women always do say: “Oh Socrates, this is the last time now that your friends will speak to you or you to them.” And Socrates glanced at Crito and said, “Crito, let somebody take her home.”And some of Crito's people took her away wailing and beating her breast” (Phaedo  60a).

“if  women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.”  (Republic 452a)

Some Sobering Statistics

·  1) 21% of employed philosophers are women (Kathryn Norlock)

·  2) 18.5% of philosophy faculty at top 54 programs (Leiter Report) are women (Julie van Camp)

·  3) 2004 US Department of Education estimates 41% of those employed in the humanities are women.

·  4) National Digest of Educational Statistics (NCES) reports 39% female at postsecondary degree granting institutions.

·  5) Philosophy PhDs awarded: 27% (and stuck there for the last ten years or so, with a spike to 33.3% in 2004, 25.1% in 2005).

·  6) Survey of Degrees Awarded (SED) 2005 figures. History 41%, Astronomy and physics 26%, Economics: 30%, Political Science 39%.

http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/SWIP/stats.html

However,  things are actually worse than that.  According to Kate Norlock’s report to the APA, among full-time instructional faculty, women are 16.6% of the 13,000 total full-time philosophy faculty (that is, 2,158),and 26% of the 10,

000 part-time instructors (that is, 2,600). In other words, women are 4,758 of the 23,000 or so: 20.69%.

http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/doctoral_2004.html

Lists a ranking of the top fifty graduate programs. University of Georgia has 50% females.  Baylor is tied for second to last  with   1 in  14  (7.1%)  though in the report it is listed as  0 in 13.   None of the full professors in the department are female (at least not yet).  None of the distinguished or university professors in the department are female. Ta Baylor’s Philosophy graduate student population  is slightly better. The website   lists 31 current students   6  are  female.    (19.5 %) though recently one  female left the program. 

Nation wide   29 % of  undergraduate philosophy degrees are earned by females.   I didn’t have Baylor’s own undergrad statistics.

Questions for  Discussion:

How does this situation strike you?

What might be the reasons for the disparity in male and female enrollment in philosophy courses, in graduate study, in securing employment and promotion? 

Does the lack of women in philosophy influence how philosophy is taught?

Is philosophy itself sexist? 

Is academic philosophy? 

What can we do about it? 

Should we do anything about it? 

In  what  way does  turning to  Sappho  help us sort out this problem and  possible causes and possible  solutions to it?