CFP: Diversifying Philosophy 101: A Teaching Practicum

Diversifying Philosophy 101: A Teaching Practicum

As Jay Garfield and Bryan van Norden argue in a recent guest essay in the New York Times, the discipline of philosophy “remains resolutely Eurocentric.” As evidence, they note that as of 2016, of the top fifty philosophy doctoral programs in English-speaking world, only 15% have any faculty members who regularly teach any non-Western philosophy. This lack of curricular diversity in part springs from the lack of embodied diversity among philosophy Ph.Ds, who in the United States are 86% non-Hispanic white. Further, also as of 2016, women make up only 20% of full professors in philosophy departments, a statistic that has remained essentially unchanged since the 1980s. This curricular and faculty homogeneity often leaves well-intentioned instructors looking to diversify their syllabi with few resources on which to rely.

We’re looking to help rectify that problem with a day-long teaching practicum sponsored by Boston University’s College of General Studies for those interested in making their introductory philosophy curricula more inclusive and more representative. Accordingly, we seek instructors interested in giving 45-minute presentations on how to incorporate a figure from an underrepresented group from before 1900 into an introductory philosophy survey. Special preference will be given to presentations on women or thinkers from the Global South. Proposals should be practical, not theoretical, providing other instructors with useful strategies for efficiently integrating relevant figures into existing curricula. Presentations should feature specific suggestions regarding course materials and assignments.

The event will take place on November 4 at Boston University's College of General Studies.  Submit a 250-word proposal to Joshua Pederson ([email protected]) by September 30, 2023.