Women, Philosophy, and Identity in the 21st Century

[De4sher]

women have an important thing to philosophize about, in the 21th century: we're running out of oil. 3,2,1, go!

[unseenstrings]

I really like philosopher Patrica Smith Churchland. May I suggest that you do a search at thesciencenetwork org for Molly Crockett and watch the video of Pat and Molly discussing interdisciplinary approaches to the "mind" and the implications of recent findings of neurobiology.

Jennifer (YT User nine9s) hints at the reason she decided not to go into the "dry, stale" area of philosophy. Watch her video and see if you can apply what she says to the information you seek. (watch?v=Gn92xHcZ_7g)

[Colston]

3 My influences have been varied. Some of them have been philosophers. Mostly the existential ones. Malcolm X had a profound effect long after his death through his autobiography.

4. I think we are in the age of distraction for the masses. This will continue and deepen. Apart from a minority most folk's engagement with the world of ideas will become so shallow that it will be meaningless.

[Colston]

1. I can't say it has any importance. But then I don't know what it is not to be a man. I might answer differently if I were female.

2. Philosophy is very much alive for me as I engage with it. My nearest and dearest however wouldn't know a philosopher from Adam. It is dead to them in the same way that God was dead for Nietzsche.

[joesub007]

As far as philosophers are concerned why look at relics of a forgotten age who are treading what is now a barren path?

I recommend Chris Langan: watch?v=QA0gjyXG5O0

"The stupid person thinks he/she is as smart or smarter than the smart person and herein lies his stupidity. A lot of them call themselves CEOs. In order to succeed you have to learn to kiss up. Kiss your way up the ladder of success..."

His anti-disgenics idea is worth looking at. Implanting birth control, anti-rape in girls.

[joesub007]

philosophy will never die as long as there is conflict, unmet needs and wants, suffering and psychological trauma in the world. In short as long as there are human beings in their present unmodified state there will be a need for philosophy.

As far as the net making life go at a faster pace and making slow self reflection (philosophy) obsolete then let's take a closer look at the nursery tale of the tortoise and the hare. Being fast might get you killed and hurt a lot faster too.

[EpistemicDuty]

Rae Langton is a pretty cool philosopher. She is a Kant scholar (I have her book Kantian humility which is awesome) and a feminist philosopher. Here on youtube there is discussion with her on a radio program on pornography discussing her book sexual solipsism. watch?v=eAI9swyPjxI

[2bsirius]

@EpistemicDuty

Thanks for the suggestion...I have to admit that I don't know Rae Langton's work. I'll be interested to find out more so thanks for the link.

[hume12345]

civil liberties will be eroded further. this will come about due to the pressure western governments are under to secure cheap, convenient energy for us to consume. iran will be attacked, georgia may join nato which may see russia begin an arms race. something america is desperate to start in order to address their trade imbalances.

the rise of nationalism\protectionism policies and far right groups.

[hume12345]

i think we take our cue from how others perceive us. we all subscribe to the path of least resistance.

philosophy is dead to the majority. most humanistic philosophies have to overcome human nature, unless their purpose is analytical and therefore educationally instructive.

nothing will take philosophy's place. it becomes revelant and irrevelant according to the times.

energy and world resources affect my world view greatly. on a personal level it has to be race related.

tbc

[hume12345]

it's funny how some of us tend to think. camille paglia's doesn't wish to be seen as a victim, hence her dismisal of sexism in the sciences. of course it happens as does racism.

science is more often than not about perception. who confers it, who wields it and who taketh away. individuals, bodies, institutions are all involved in these practices. afterall they have to convince governments and large conglomerate to invest in them.

philosophy in some senses is dead.

[Ontologistics]

@SomethingSeaTrashed

Watch my video 'Destruction of Objectivism'.

I am a philosopher and a nihilist; you seem to be suggesting I take a moral stance - ?

[TookiGuy]

1. It doesn't affect how I see myself, but how society sees me, I'd say.

2. Not at all.

3. If by world you mean society, then it's primarily rifts and schisms - how we divide ourselves.

4. As you seemed to hint at in the video, it's information. Either we will become sufficiently aware and fix ourselves in association to things we percieve as "other", like our ecosystem instead of realizing we're a part of it, or we don't make it in time and civilization will collapse.

[MegaYippie]

1.) I don't know. Go into the male bathroom, don't undress in the woman locker room? So, practical stuff.

2) No. No.

3) Facts. What is discovered in the brain influence my ideas about empathy and love. What is discovered about life elsewhere will influence my idea about the universe.

4) The Kepler mission! The Large European Telescope. Titan! Whatever progress synthetic life brings about? Some large brain survey? The cure for AIDS? Practical stuff derived from facts changes ideas.

out of signs.

[Mastikator]

1. Not important.

2. No, but it's in a way diminished, in a different way it's empowered. There are many channels on the tubes where formal philosophy is taken seriously.

3. TEDtalk, the atheist community, the anarchist community, science in general.

4. Not a clue, I think we'll have to wait for virtual reality for our world to be fundamentally altered. I think it'll take more than 3-5 years, more like 10-15 years :P

[silversoul7]

I noticed Iris Murdoch absent from that list. We read a book of hers in an Ethics class I took in college. Anyway, I think that at least in the 20th century the reason that female philosophers don't get noticed as much is because a lot of them tend to be feminist philosophers, and thus their thought is lumped into the identity politics genre and they are thought of first and foremost as feminists rather than as philosophers.

[HaleyMary]

In addition to question three, I'm also influenced by John Lennon's music.

As for four, I think the internet will alter our world by allowing people around the world to share their ideas with each other and I think climate change will alter our world quite a bit. I think the sharing of ideas will teach people to look at life from different perspectives and I think climate change altering the world will hopefully help bring people together to help save the planet's ecosystem.

[HaleyMary]

I think women have been philosophers in the past. It's just that with the internet, especially youtube women can have more exposure to the world and are able to share their ideas without feeling like anything in society is holding them back.

As for question one, I like to think of men and women as equal when it comes to sharing philosophical ideas.  For two, no philosophy isn't dead. For three, I am influenced by mostly what I read, Hawking, Thorne, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Anthony de Mello

[Sconz32]

I typed in "men" and "philosophy" and got a bunch of videos on relationship advice and a fat kid talking about I don't know.

[xy11xy]

Woman bashing is the pastime of the horny and dateless, who could not produce a successful erection even if Godiva herself assisted.

And because I am a humanitarian, here's a hint for them: rage sends blood rushing to all the wrong places.

[dima80te]

I don't consider my gender identity important but it becomes so the moment I step outside my house,philosophy is as relevant as dust bunnies under my bed,I had is as a mandatory subject in my old school and the amount of wasted time pissed me off,anything practical needs to replace it.Living in this point in time we are constantly exposed to new ideas,they either get me thinking about my positions even more thoroughly or sometimes(rarely) change my view on some matter.

[alovelytime]

i dont think we can escape sexism and discrimination. the situation was the same before the internet.

my mother was born before women even had a right to vote here in the states. that says it all far as im concerned. it takes generations to reach a level of equality due to the stubborn resistance, some purposeful most not, of old thinking.

philosophy aint dead, its getting more popular, which is good. the actual work of Philosophy is alive and well. humans can be quick learners.

[alovelytime]

and im not talking about equal talent, just equal access and interest

[ladyattis]

I think the person quoted in the video talking about philosophy being dead in the water is wrong. Much of what I've seen may not exist in the departments of philosophy or be published in journals focused on aspects of philosophy, but I'd say I've found more methodical analysis of philosophy online today than probably has existed in the last two decades as a formal practice/role.

And honestly, I've seen more women online being part of this process more than men.

[2bsirius]

@ladyattis

Your screen name is interesting. A lot of people who see might think that you are a woman.

So, it's your experience that a lot more women than are involved in discussing philosophy here on YouTube? I know of some very articulate women who are involved...but I'm not sure I think that there are more women than men involved. I must be missing out on their videos somehow.

[ladyattis]

@2bsirius I'm about to transition this year (MtF), so the name isn't meant in jest or as disguise.

[2bsirius]

@Ontologistics

You think?

[Ontologistics]

Another point: there are innumerable videos on the woman Ayn Rand. But I suppose she's not an academic philosopher (but she was on the Indepent's list).

[2bsirius]

@Ontologistics

Rand is among Camille Pagila's top ten. I've read everything that Rand has written, and I don't share Pagila's opinion of her, but she is certainly worth a good thorough read through.

[Ontologistics]

Read Schopenhauer, 'On women', where he addresses the idea of female philosophers.

[2bsirius]

@Ontologistics

It is an amazing misogynistic screed. There is a reading of it here on YouTube taken from the Libravox recording of it:

watch?v=rttJo9y22JQ

[Ontologistics]

@2bsirius

Thanks but I've read it a number of times. This is the view of one of the greatest of thinkers. Nietzsche was almost as condemning. Both were brought up in a female household though!...

I think you have to consider other explanations for the lack of greatness in women other than sexism. No doubt that plays a role, but to think it plays the only role is dogmatic.

[2bsirius]

@Ontologistics

Some positions are not worth the time to refute.

You don't need to stop with Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and many other male philosophers wrote vicious condemnations of women and their philosophical ineptitude.

[2bsirius]

(2)

I realize that it's probably a problem referring to something as a "misogynistic screed" when I'm talking to someone who seems to endorse, how did you phrase it exactly?

" males are more respected – probably because they are stronger pschologically and physically, and more creative..."

Interesting...

[Ontologistics]

@2bsirius

'Interesting' = evasion of point. Viz., that there could - could - be another reason for the lack of known great female philosophers other than sexism.

But it seems that even that basic logical point will seem intolerable to some. This evasion I call dogma, and consider it equal to condemning a person for not believing in God.

[2bsirius]

@Ontologistics

"Interesting" was not an evasion,but simply an observation. I've spent a lot of time discussing this with your, so I fail to follow your reasoning...

[Ontologistics]

@2bsirius

With my...? Certainly never with me.

So tell me: do you think it is a possibility that reasons other than sexism (and its consequences) could account for the lack of great female philosophers?

[Ontologistics]

1. Important as males are more respected – probably because they are stronger pschologically and physically, and more creative (as suggested a posteriori by history itself).

2. No. Only a failed philosopher would suggest that.

3. Great philosophers and scientists.

4. Impossible to predict.

[artisannika]

1. gender makes a difference in that boys and girls are brought up differently.

2. no its not dead, but i don't think job prospects are so good for philosophers.

3. my life experiences. my parents - i am lucky they didnt raise me into a religion and always wanted to discuss things like science and society.

4. well the only change i am hoping for is a repaired economy in which i can live a happy life.

[jacewolf301]

1. Slightly, as gender roles placed on physical forms allow others to condemn parts of our personality and desires.

2. It is not dead yet, but it must evolve to our time before it is accepted again.

3. My desire for freedom and a better world.

4. What is our rights as humans and does the various governments/institutions collide with that? How far should we take technology?

[theVAGINAntichrist]

1. My gender matters nothing to me in my self-identification. However, I am glad I am in a male body because, in my opinion, it is the superior choice for a vessel to explore the universe (stronger muscles, etc.). Sorry.

2. No.

3. Philosophy.

4. A meteor will strike Earth at 10:15 AM, February 3, 2011, killing 90% of the human population. This will stunt the technological and philosophical growth we have been witnessing for the past few hundred years.

[2bsirius]

@theVAGINAntichrist

For your first response...Are you sure?

As for 4...Hmmmm, sort of a remake of Deep Impact, I guess.

[Anonymous00230]

(1) Gender is not an important factor on how I perceive world, but how world preceives me.

(2) Philosophy has very little use for those who are not hindered by deistic mindset.

(3) Scientific discoveries, inquisitive human mind and logical deductionism.

(4) Energy storage capacity increases with the smart usage of carbon nanotubes. Increases in data storage will make information more available for cheaper.

[Anonymous00230]

Attendum- How and why:

Energy storage with the use of carbon nanotubes would be abvailable now, just that the effort to create them is still too expensive until the engineers get more innovation.

Data storage increase will likely happen in form of holographic storage.

[2bsirius]

@Anonymous00230

Really good thinking a lot of what you say.

[wimsweden]

1. Not important, except in matters sexual.

2. I'm hoping all religion will eventually turn into philosophy, so philosophy'd better stick around. ;)

3. YouTube, I reckon. Watching science channels, philosophy channels, etc.

4. Cheap access to information for even more people (I believe more Africans have a cell phone than access to clean water right now), stigma against GM crops disappearing, getting off of fossil fuels. Long-shot: discovery of life outside our planet.

[wimsweden]

@wimsweden

One more in 4: the development of systems that intelligently sift through masses of raw data (e.g. genomes, internet, research from universities all over the world).

[TheRecoveringZombie]

1. Not that important to me. It probably is to others as they will assume certain things about me b/c I'm female.

2. It isn't dead but its methods need to evolve to modern life. Most people don't know much about Philosophy or consider it useless or are suspicious. Philosophical concepts need to be more accessible.

3. Science and Philosophy actually.

4. Information systems & the aquiring of knowledge. Perhaps breakthroughs in Neurology/Psychology that makes knowledge aquisition easier.

[tattooskin72]

1) Well, considering that I identify as a gay male, though I think it's much more complex. Sure, I have a penis, but I think that gender is much complex than that. Sure, I like men more than anything else, but my sexual orientation is also much more complex than that. So yeah, it's complex!!! LOL

2) It's still important, but it has changed. I actually agree with Camille a bit on this.

3) I think people are going to turn away from organized religion even more... which will be a good thing.