Women Philosophers in the Long Nineteenth Century : The German Tradition

This volume makes available to English-language readers--in many cases for the first time--the works of nine women philosophers from the German tradition. It showcases their contemporary relevance and their crucial contributions to nineteenth-century philosophical movements. An Editors'' Introduction offers a comprehensive overview of the contributions of women philosophers in the Nineteenth Century. Each chapter is furnished with an introduction to the distinctive life and work of the philosopher in questions. The translated texts are accessible and engaging. The translations are furnished with explanatory footnotes. This is a good fit for courses in 19th Century Philosophy which can sometimes be called 19th Century German (or European) Philosophy, as it''s very German-heavy. That is a course that is a vast majority of philosophy departments and required for majors. The purpose of the book is to give people texts to use and assign to diversify syllabi in this area since usually it''s just about Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and the like, and no women. For surveys of the History of Philosophy in general, this could also be a core text for people looking to diversify (in terms of gender) their offerings, since 19th Century (German) philosophy is usually such a major part of those courses given the importance of the work that was done then-again this book allows people to diversify their syllabus.

The long nineteenth-century--the period beginning with the French Revolution and ending with World War I--was a transformative period for women philosophers in German-speaking countries and contexts. The period spans romanticism and idealism, socialism, Nietzscheanism, and phenomenology, philosophical movements we most often associate with Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Marx--but rarely with women. Yet women philosophers not only contributed to these movements, but also spearheaded debates about their social and political implications. While today their works are less well-known than those of their male contemporaries, many of these women philosophers were widely-read and influential in their own time. Their contributions shed important new light on nineteenth-century philosophy and philosophy more generally: revealing the extent to which various movements which we consider distinct were joined, and demonstrating the degree to which philosophy can transform lives and be transformed by lived experiences and practices. In the nineteenth century, women philosophers explored a wide range of philosophical topics and styles. Working within and in dialogue with popular philosophical movements, women philosophers helped shape philosophy''s agenda and provided unique approaches to existential, political, aesthetic, and epistemological questions. Though largely deprived formal education and academic positions, women thinkers developed a way of philosophizing that was accessible, intuitive, and activist in spirit. The present volume makes available to English-language readers—in many cases for the first time—the works of nine women philosophers, with the hope of stimulating further interest in and scholarship on their works. The volume includes a comprehensive introduction to women philosophers in the nineteenth century and introduces each philosopher and her position. The translations are furnished with explanatory footnotes. The volume is designed to be accessible to students as well as scholars.