Wise Women

Wise Women is a sixteen-episode series about women in philosophy from antiquity to the twentieth century, generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The first season focuses on historical figures from the fifth century to the nineteenth century, and the second focuses on contemporary philosophers. Each episode spotlights a different philosopher and features a different guest scholar in conversation with the hosts. While you may have heard of some of the philosophers featured in the series, many names will be unfamiliar; but this is part of the story we want to tell. Wise Women is a celebration of philosophy’s unsung heroines, and an opportunity to bring attention to these women’s often overlooked and underrated contributions to philosophy and beyond.

Wise Women (s1)

Portrait of Hypatia of Alexandria, a prominent philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician.

Hypatia of Alexandria

Guest: Edward Watts, Professor of History, University of California San Diego
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Medieval illustration of Hildegard von Bingen writing.

Hildegard von Bingen

Guest: Jennifer Bain, Professor of Musicology and of Gender and Women's Studies, Dalhousie University
Read More about Hildegard von Bingen
Portrait of Elisabeth of Bohemia, a princess known for her philosophical correspondence with René Descartes.

Elisabeth of Bohemia

Guest: Lisa Shapiro, Professor of Philosophy, McGill University
Read More about Elisabeth of Bohemia
Portrait of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, with her book, "The Description of a New World.

Margaret Cavendish

Guest: Karen Detlefsen, Professor of Philosophy and Education, University of Pennsylvania
Read More about Margaret Cavendish
Portrait of Mary Astell, a 17th-century English writer and feminist philosopher.

Mary Astell

Guest: Allauren Samantha Forbes, Professor of Philosophy and of Gender and Social Justice, McMaster University
Read More about Mary Astell
Portrait of Im Yunjidang, a Joseon Dynasty noblewoman, wearing traditional Korean hanbok.

Im Yunjidang

Guest: Hwa Yeong Wang, Professor of Philosophy, Duke Kunshan University
Read More about Im Yunjidang
Portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft, a prominent 18th-century writer and early feminist.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Guest: Sylvana Tomaselli, Professor of History, St. John's College, Cambridge University
Read More about Mary Wollstonecraft
Portrait of Nísia Floresta, a Brazilian writer and feminist.

Nísia Floresta

Guest: Nastassja Pugliese, Professor of Education and of Philosophy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Read More about Nísia Floresta

Wise Women (s2)

Anna Julia Cooper, prominent scholar and activist, stands in her study.

Anna Julia Cooper

Guest: Kathryn Sophia Belle, Founding Director, Collegium of Black Women Philosophers
Read More about Anna Julia Cooper
Black and white portrait of Emma Goldman, famed anarchist and writer.

Emma Goldman

Guest: Candace Falk, Founding Director, The Emma Goldman Papers Research Project
Read More about Emma Goldman
Black and white photo of Simone Weil, wearing a beret.

Simone Weil

Guest: Rebecca Rozelle-Stone, Professor of Philosophy & Ethics, University of North Dakota
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Black and white portrait of philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe.

Elizabeth Anscombe

Guest: Rachael Wiseman, Professor of Philosophy, University of Liverpool
Read More about Elizabeth Anscombe
Black and white photo of Iris Murdoch, author, sitting on a bed, holding papers.

Iris Murdoch

Guest: Eva-Maria Düringer, Professor of Philosophy, University of Tübingen
Read More about Iris Murdoch
Mary Midgley, author, sits in a chair surrounded by books, holding a stack of books.

Mary Midgley

Guest: Clare MacCumhaill, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University
Read More about Mary Midgley
Philippa Foot

Philippa Foot

Guest: John Hacker-Wright, Professor of Philosophy, University of Guelph
Read More about Philippa Foot
Black and white portrait of philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson.

Judith Jarvis Thomson

Guest: Elizabeth Harman, Professor of Philosophy and Human Values, Princeton University
Read More about Judith Jarvis Thomson