Women continue to be under-represented in the discipline of philosophy; for example, only about 30% of PhDs in philosophy are awarded to women.  To address this problem at the local level, students and faculty decided to create a new student organization – Women in Philosophy (WiP).  According to the Rebecca Stanley, president of WiP, the group was founded to create a safe space for undergraduates to discuss current issues in Philosophy, including feminism. The group includes both male and female students. Although only in its first year as a recognized student group, WiP has hit the ground running.  Under the leadership of Stanley and Professor Sheridan Hough (faculty advisor), WiP already has dedicated group of students who meet twice a month. Topics this year ranged from scholarly discussions of Simone de Beauvoir and Edith Stein, to films and TV shows (from Agora and Hannah Arendt to Archer). When Sally Haslanger (an eminent philosopher at MIT and founder of WiP at the University of California, Berkeley – pictured left) recently visited the College, WiP students had a wonderful opportunity to meet Haslanger and discuss her work over lunch.

The faculty in the department believe it is crucial to insure that we reach out to all of our students.  We hope that the creation of WiP will make the department a more inviting place for all of our students to explore the rich world of philosophical ideas.