Hypatia of Alexandria

August 10, 2025

First Aired: July 23, 2023

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Hypatia of Alexandria, late antiquity public figure and scholar, made significant contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy. Her embrace of Neoplatonism was seen as such a threat to the political elite in Alexandria that she was murdered by a mob of Christians. So what made her ideas so dangerous and revolutionary for her time? As a woman in Ancient Egypt, how did she exert power over her own narrative? And should she really be considered a “martyr” for philosophy? Josh and Ray explore Hypatia’s life and thought with Edward Watts, Professor of History at UCSD and author of Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher.

Part of our series Wise Women, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

How did a pagan woman become such a powerful figure in a predominantly Christian city? What can we learn from Hypatia about leading a virtuous life? And how can her example inspire us to take charge of our own narratives? Josh and Ray explore these questions with guest, Edward Watts, Professor of History at UC San Diego and author of Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher.

Guest Edward Watts joins the discussion. He argues that believes that philosophy must be practiced in a public fashion. She sees her role as a philosopher as one that is both about individual and personal contemplation, understanding of texts, but also working in her world to make everyone more philosophical. Ray raises the question about how did she make Neoplatonic philosophy relevant to all of them? Edward describes Alexandria as a plural city, and what Hypatia understood is that as a philosopher in a diverse place, it’s her role to make sure that she is available to and accessible to everybody who can potentially benefit from her teaching.

In the final segment, Josh and Ray discuss Neo-Platonists tradition in philosophy its connection to astronomy, and a kind of ascent to a transcendent first principle that gives rise to soul. Edward answers by distinguishing between to different approaches in that philosophical school at odds with each other, one favored by Plotinus and Porphyry, which favored personal struggle and work on one’s soul, and another by Iamblichus, which favored rituals (“theurgy”). To conclude, Ray asks about Hypatia’s philosophical legacy today? Edward thinks that Hypatia is remembered because she was killed, and that there are better reasons than that (over which she had no control), mainly by the way lived and taught, although this has been reflected in different ways in different eras.

Roving Philosophical Report (seek to 5:35) → Angela Johnston interviews That’s Alex Petkas, a former classics professor and current podcast host, about Hypatia’s extraordinary political life in Alexandria and her intellectual achievements. Then Angela and Alex go on to discuss her infamous death and how Alexandria after her death was never the same city again.

Sixty-Second Philosopher (seek to 47:07) → Ian Shoales discusses the life and adventures of Hypatia with an eye to how some of the circumstances regarding political violence haven’t changed so much, or the public challenges facing education.