Review: 'The Philosopher Queens' ed. by Rebecca Buxton, Lisa Whiting

 I have always been interested in philosophy, in the why behind what we do and how we do it. While digging straight into philosophy books is one way of approaching it, I have always liked knowing something more of the philosopher themselves, of where they came from and what they did, not just what they thought. The Philosopher Queens is therefore the perfect introduction for someone like me. Thanks to Unbound and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 9/25/2020
Publisher: Unbound

'This is brilliant. A book about women in philosophy by women in philosophy – love it!' Elif Shafak

Where are the women philosophers? The answer is right here.

The history of philosophy has not done women justice: you’ve probably heard the names Plato, Kant, Nietzsche and Locke – but what about Hypatia, Arendt, Oluwole and Young?

The Philosopher Queens is a long-awaited book about the lives and works of women in philosophy by women in philosophy. This collection brings to centre stage twenty prominent women whose ideas have had a profound – but for the most part uncredited – impact on the world.

You’ll learn about Ban Zhao, the first woman historian in ancient Chinese history; Angela Davis, perhaps the most iconic symbol of the American Black Power Movement; Azizah Y. al-Hibri, known for examining the intersection of Islamic law and gender equality; and many more.

For anyone who has wondered where the women philosophers are, or anyone curious about the history of ideas – it's time to meet the philosopher queens.

I'm not sure when I was first exposed to philosophy, but it's probably a safe bet that it was the Greek philosophers I first became familiar with. It was only during high school that I delved into some of the philosophies central to modern life a bit more deeply. It was also during high school that I first felt discomfort at the typical idea, or image, of what a "philosopher" is. I couldn't recognize myself in it, or anyone I knew, and I often wondered how these distant characters could in any way have an idea of what my motivations or thoughts are. Perhaps this is why one of the few philosophers I've always admired is Diogenes. I mean, dude lived in a barrel and couldn't care less about authority. Hygienic? No. Interesting? Very much so. Just like Diogenes kind of shifted my ideas of what a philosopher was, so The Philosopher Queens resets the whole image. Taking its name from Plato's Republic, where the "philosopher kings" are in charge of governing, The Philosopher Queens introduces the reader to various women who, in their own ways, have contributed to history and philosophy, through teaching, writing, poetry or advocacy. 

The Philosopher Queens is made up of a variety of essays, each written by a female philosopher about another. Buxton and Whiting have managed to include a relatively wide variety, both temporal and geographical, of philosophers in this book. We have Ban Zhao from first century China, who walks a fine line between expressing a woman's difficult position in a patriarchal society and reaffirming the rules of that exact same patriarchal society. We are also introduced to Lalla, a fourteenth century Kashmiri poet and yogini, whose poetry brought the complex, non-dualist ideas of Shaivism into her poetry and therefore closer to the people. I was fascinated to learn about Sophie Bosede Oluwole, a Nigerian philosopher who sadly passed away two years ago. Her work on bringing attention to African, and especially Oruba, philosophy and giving it a place next to the Western tradition is very interesting and I am planning on doing a lot more reading about her. There are also a few more familiar faces, like Mary Wollstonecraft, Hannah Arendt, Angela Davis, and Simone de Beauvoir, and it's great to see them within the context of these other philosophy queens. 

What The Philosopher Queens does very well is recreating the image of the "philosopher". Many of the women in this book find themselves trying to overcome societal hurdles, which informs and influences their future work, in ways male philosophers will not have. Angela Davis' work was marked deeply by the racial violence she experienced and witnessed in America. Similarly, Hannah Arendt's status as country-less influenced how she saw human rights. We also see the consequences of this pushing of boundaries, whether it is Hypatia's brutal murder or the setting aside of Harriet Taylor Mill despite John Stuart Mill's best efforts. The authors of the biographies also don't shy away from showing that these queens are not perfect. Some, like Arendt for example (or Marx!), were rather racist. Others, like Mary Astell, found themselves both for and against women's liberation and enfranchisement. The Philosopher Queens shows us that philosophy doesn't require perfection, but that it does require a constant engaging with the world around you. Almost all the women discussed in this book make the choice to bring their philosophical knowledge to contemporary political and social issues. Philosophy, in their eyes, is not something separate, only to be practiced in an ivory tower. Rather it is something that should be used every day for the betterment of humanity and the clarification of issues. 

Buxton and Whiting do a great job at bringing together these various biographies, writing some themselves. What these contributions do well is show the passion of the writers for these women philosophers. They were each trailblazers in their own way and their contributions were not just vital to their field but also vital to inspiring new generations of philosophers. It means The Philosopher Queens isn't overly academic, but makes for a great introduction that will light a spark in the reader. I requested various library books by these queens after finishing the book, which surely is what Buxton and Whiting were aiming for. My only gripe is that I would have liked to see the inclusion of some women from the Middle Ages. I think Hildegard von Bingen could have been a great addition, as well as Christine de Pizan or even Margery Kempe. However, there is quite an extensive index of further philosopher queens at the end of the book, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for a Part II. It's also important to note that the illustrations in The Philosopher Queens are stunning. A portrait precedes each biography and I found myself returning to them each time after having read the biography and considering them in detail.

What I only realized after finishing The Philosopher Queens is that we only have it due to a crowdfunding campaign, spearheaded by Buxton and Whiting. Firstly, a major thank you to everyone who contributed. This is a great book and I'm glad it exists. Secondly, it really struck me that there is such a demand for books such as these, and yet it takes crowdfunding to get it to the reader. It is a real shame that the publishing industry itself has not quite opened up yet to projects like these, but hopefully with books such as The Philosopher Queens, and its hoped for success, this can and will change.

I give this book...

5 Universes!

I greatly enjoyed The Philosopher Queens. Although I had initially considered taking it slowly, I found myself unable to put the book down, fascinated and drawn in by each of the biographies. Whether you're a philosophy buff or someone looking to get interested, this is a great book to start with. The extensive bibliography will give you plenty of reading material afterwards!