Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

174719

Diving into the perfect storm

Marina Sbisà

pp. 134-150

Abstract

Considering data concerning the underrepresentation of women in philosophy, I reflect on how it is that discrimination of individuals or of categories of people can take place in this discipline, and on what approaches can be adopted to analyse and contrast the discrimination of women in particular. I consider Louise Antony’s distinction between two different approaches: “Different Voices”, according to which women are discriminated in philosophy because of their difference, and “Perfect Storm”, according to which such discrimination is caused by a combination of independent factors. Accepting Antony’s criticism of the Different Voices approach, I offer a few considerations that hope to supplement the Perfect Storm approach by showing how the factors that combine to cause the discrimination of women in philosophy are interconnected. In so doing, I discuss the normative role of gender stereotypes, the role of care-giving in society and its place in our value system, and women’s difficult path towards the indispensable condition of being autonomous subjects and agents.

Publication details

Published in:

(2017) Discrimination in philosophy. Rivista di estetica 64.

Pages: 134-150

DOI: 10.4000/estetica.2073

Full citation:

Sbisà Marina (2017) „Diving into the perfect storm“. Rivista di estetica 64, 134–150.