European Society for Women in Philosophy

European Society for Women in Philosophy
Name	European Society for Women in Philosophy
Abbreviation	ESWIP
Formation	1988
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Europe
Region served	Europe
Languages	English

Contents

European Society for Women in Philosophy The European Society for Women in Philosophy was established in 1988 to address gender disparities in philosophical institutions and practices across Europe, engaging scholars, activists, and institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Amsterdam and networks like European Union bodies and the Council of Europe. The society has interacted with figures and bodies associated with Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Hannah Arendt, Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe, G. E. M. Anscombe and institutions like the Royal Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to amplify voices across venues including Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, Central European University, Scuola Normale Superiore, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and University of Barcelona.

History

Founded in 1988 amid discussions at conferences involving scholars from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the organization emerged parallel to debates around texts such as The Second Sex and interventions by philosophers linked to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Early coordination connected activists and academics associated with Simone Weil, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir and programs at European University Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Vienna, University of Milan and Trinity College Dublin. Over successive decades the society engaged with projects funded by entities like the European Commission, collaborated with journals such as Hypatia, Philosophy & Social Criticism, European Journal of Philosophy and partnered with centers including the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme and the Institut d'études avancées de Paris.

The society’s stated aims include promoting the visibility of women philosophers across institutions such as King's College London, University College London, Uppsala University, University of Copenhagen, University of Helsinki and Universiteit Leiden, challenging exclusionary practices associated with patronage networks found in venues like the British Academy, Max Planck Society, Académie Française and Austrian Academy of Sciences. It seeks to advance careers of scholars connected to projects at European Research Council, to foster dialogue across traditions exemplified by work from Wittgenstein, Kant, Heidegger, Descartes and Hegel, and to influence policy discussions at forums like European Parliament, UNESCO and Council of Europe.

Activities have included mentoring schemes linking early-career researchers from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Charles University in Prague, University of Zagreb, University of Porto and University of Ljubljana with senior scholars tied to centers such as King's College London, Birkbeck, University of Edinburgh, Sorbonne Université and University of St Andrews. Programs encompass reading groups focused on texts by Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch, collaborative workshops with institutes like Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, International Network for Philosophy and Feminism and networking events linked to societies such as the British Philosophical Association, German Society for Philosophy and Italian Society for Analytic Philosophy.

Regular conferences and regional meetings have been hosted at venues including University of Salamanca, University of Oslo, University of Belgrade, Eötvös Loránd University and University of Tartu, often in conjunction with organizations like European Consortium for Political Research, Society for Women in Philosophy and International Association of Philosophy and Literature. Keynotes and panels have featured scholars associated with Judith Butler, Nancy Fraser, Seyla Benhabib, Rosi Braidotti, Susanne Langer, Elisabeth Grosz and ties to events such as the Prague Spring International Music Festival (as cultural interlocutor), Edinburgh Festival Fringe (as public engagement site) and meetings at European University Institute.

The society is governed by elected officers drawn from faculties at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Université de Montréal (with European ties), University of Groningen and University of Lausanne, and structured around elected boards that liaise with bodies like the European Science Foundation, Academy of Finland and national research councils including Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Membership is open to individuals affiliated with institutions such as Trinity College Dublin, University of Glasgow, Université de Liège, University of Padua and Masaryk University, with regional chapters active in countries including Poland, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Romania and Sweden.

The society has produced newsletters, edited volumes and special issues in journals such as Hypatia, European Journal of Philosophy, Feminist Theory and collaborative publications with presses including Routledge, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Palgrave Macmillan. It has sponsored prizes and awards celebrating work connected to figures such as Simone de Beauvoir, Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler, Julia Kristeva and institutions like British Academy and Royal Irish Academy, and supported monographs from scholars at Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University and European publishers.

Supporters credit the society with increasing visibility for women philosophers at universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne Université, Humboldt University of Berlin and influencing hiring and promotion practices at bodies such as the European Research Council and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Critics argue that its focus on institutional advocacy parallels debates involving affirmative action, quota policies in academia and tensions similar to controversies at University of California, Harvard University, Yale University and Stanford University over diversity measures, while some commentators linked to journals like Mind and The Philosophical Review have debated its methodological orientations and effects on disciplinary standards.

Category:Philosophy organizations Category:Women's organizations in Europe