The Female Voice in Philosophical Conversations

At various times and places in history, it was attractive to write philosophy as a conversation between characters. Only very rarely are any of the philosophical speakers female. When the female voice was used by male or female authors, it frequently leaned on gendered associations, such as women’s expertise in certain ‘female’ topics such as love and reproduction.

Yet, the story is not always so simple. This conference will explore when the female voice was used, how it was deployed, and what it can illuminate about changing gender norms and views about the definition and limits of philosophy.