The field of philosophy has long been a hostile environment for women. Feminist thought has been slow to infiltrate the significant back catalogue of ideas and theories that have shaped how we understand ourselves and western societies. Until recent years, when students and contemporary thinkers have engaged with philosophy, often in academic settings, there’s been limited exposure to women thinkers, and only recently has intersectional feminist thought been taking on the old masters.  

In this week’s show we meet feminist philosophy academics and teachers Katherine O’Donnell and Emma McNichol on the meeting of feminist thought and traditional philosophy. With Katherine, we ask what does it mean to live philosophically, discuss the feminist move in philosophy to value the body as well as the mind, and question if feminists can be misogynistic towards women. And later in the show, Emma McNichol introduces us to her work with the Melbourne Centre for Feminist Philosophy.