Women Philosophers in the Long Nineteenth Century

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Women Philosophers in the Long Nineteenth Century: The German Tradition
The book's cover. At the top, in black text on orange, it says Edited by Dalia Nassar and Kristin Gjesda. In the middle, in gold text on brown, it says Women Philosophers in the Long Nineteenth Century. At the bottom, in black text on red, it says The German Tradition.
Cover art for the first edition
Editors
TranslatorAnna C. Ezekiel
CountryUnited States
Subject19th-century German philosophy
PublisherOxford University Press
Publication date
2021
Pages327
ISBN978-0-19-086803-1
193
LC ClassB2743 .W66 2021
Websitewomenphilosophers.net

Women Philosophers in the Long Nineteenth Century: The German Tradition is a 2021 anthology book edited by philosophers Dalia Nassar and Kristin Gjesdal, with translations by Anna C. Ezekiel. The book includes the works of nine women of the German tradition of philosophy during the long nineteenth century—a term referring to the 125-year period between the French Revolution in 1789 and the Great War in 1914. Each chapter introduces one philosopher and provides a selection of their works, including essays, letters, books, or speeches. Women Philosophers is the first published English translation for many of the works.

Nassar and Gjesdal first conceived of the work in reaction to the lack of 19th-century women philosophers within the philosophical canon, despite their popularity and influence during the time period. The book is aimed primarily as an introductory work and covers a broad variety of topics, including German Romanticism, Marxism, phenomenology, nihilism, and feminism.

Upon publication, Women Philosophers received generally positive reviews, with critics noting its aims to expand the canon as important and effectively done. The book's selection of authors and works were praised as nuanced and well-rounded by some reviewers, though others critiqued its omission of non-traditional philosophical works and certain philosophers. Ezekiel's translations garnered praise as clear and readable.

Background[edit]

After observing successes within the field of early modern philosophy to include more women, Kristin Gjesdal and Dalia Nassar[a] wanted to challenge the inadequate representation of women in the field of nineteenth century philosophy.[1] Both Gjesdal and Nassar's research interests lie within German and historical philosophy, and the two first met while Nassar was teaching at Villanova University in Philadelphia.[2]

Gjesdal compared the book to efforts to include the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Johann Gottfried Herder within the anglophone philosophical canon during the twentieth century.[3] Despite the popularity and influence of many women philosophers at the time,[4] Gjesdal noted that they had been forgotten or excluded from the philosophical canon as a result of their exclusion from tertiary education[3] and publication.[5][b]

The book consists of nine chapters, each dedicated to one female philosopher from the long nineteenth century, a term referring to the 125-year period beginning with the French Revolution in 1789 and ending with the outbreak of the Great War in 1914.[6] Each chapter begins with an introduction which includes a short biography of the philosopher, covers their background, and discusses their place within the history of philosophy.[6] The book uses the German tradition of philosophy to connect women philosophers from a wide range of philosophical backgrounds, including German Romanticism, Marxism, nihilism, and phenomenology.[7] The book includes the works of German Karoline von Günderrode, Bettina Brentano von Arnim, Hedwig Dohm, Clara Zetkin, and Gerda Walther [de], as well as the German-Polish writers Rosa Luxemburg and Edith Stein, the Russian-born Lou Andreas-Salomé, and the French Germaine de Staël.[7]

Summary[edit]

Germaine de Staël[edit]

The first chapter consists of the chapters "On Women Writers" from Staël's 1800 book The Influence of Literature on Society and the chapters "Kant" and "On the Influence of the New Philosophy on the Sciences" from her 1813 book Germany. "On Women Writers" addresses the negative social sanctions placed on women writers and argues that the opposition to female intellectual self-realization demonstrates the gaps in the project of the Enlightenment. The chapters "Kant" and "On the Influence of the New Philosophy on the Sciences" are based on the work of German philosophers Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi respectively. "Kant" discuss the limitations of knowledge and the interdependence of feeling with reason; "On the Influence of the New Philosophy on the Sciences" expands on the argument of Kant's Critique of Judgment, arguing for a view of nature as a unified whole, and responds to Jacobi's challenge to Kant's notion of the thing-in-itself.

Karoline von Günderrode[edit]

The second chapter consists of Günderrode's essay "Idea of the Earth" and two sets of notes: one on Johann Gottlieb Fichte's The Vocation of Humankind and the other on Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling's work on the philosophy of nature. Günderrode's notes on The Vocation of Humankind provide critiques on Fichte's conclusions, particularly his understanding of nature and conception of self-determination. Günderrode's notes on the philosophy of nature provide a critique of German idealism, arguing that the isolation of the mind and nature (of subject and object) would make knowledge of the world impossible. "Idea of the Earth" examines the notion of "earth" and argues that "the earth is an 'idea' that must be realized".[8] The argument presented in "Idea of the Earth" builds off of Günderrode's notes on the philosophy of nature to argue that nature is in some sense a human agent.

Bettina Brentano von Arnim[edit]

The third chapter consists of selections from Arnim's 1840 book Günderode,[c] a synthesized version of Arnim and Günderrode's correspondence. The book, published 34 years after Günderrode's suicide, includes their discussions of poetry, abstract philosophy, sensuality, history, and the nature of truth. In the selections, Bettine[d] challenges Günderode's interest in abstract philosophy, arguing that philosophical abstraction fails to capture the poetic and sensual essence of life. Likewise, Günderode challenges Bettine's depreciation of historical knowledge with a lengthy rebuke describing the importance of historical knowledge for intellectual growth. The two also exchange thoughts on the possibility of providing a philosophical proof for truth, before concluding that the transformative power of truth is itself a proof of truth.

Hedwig Dohm[edit]

The fourth chapter consists of four essays from Dohm: "Nietzsche and Women", "The New Mother", "The Old Woman", and "On the Agitators of Anti-feminism". In "Nietzsche and Women", Dohm examines Nietzsche's views on women and critiques his misogyny while employing his arguments to build a critique of biological essentialism. "The New Mother" calls for the transformation of mother–daughter relationships and argues that ideas attributing fixed, intrinsic qualities to women must be abandoned. In "The Old Woman", Dohm argues that women's liberation must necessarily include the emancipation of and provide a greater purpose for old women. "On the Agitators of Anti-feminism" argues for the legitimacy of the women's movement, drawing on historical evidence to demonstrate that women have been historically subjugated.

Clara Zetkin[edit]

Black and white photograph of Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg. Zetkin is wearing a large overcoat and Luxemburg is wearing a checkerboard patterned skirt and a white blouse. The two are walking arms linked and are wearing hats.
The book includes the works of Clara Zetkin (left) and Rosa Luxemburg who argued for the emancipation of workers.

The fifth chapter consists of three essays from Zetkin: "For the Liberation of Women!" and "Women's Suffrage", which were first delivered as speeches, and "Save the Scottsboro Boys!" In "For the Liberation of Women!", Zetkin presents her vision of socialist feminism, arguing that the emancipation of women can only be intertwined with the emancipation of the worker. Zetkin's speech "Women's Suffrage" makes the argument for universal suffrage, as opposed to the partial suffrage advocated by some bourgeois feminists, arguing that suffrage based on the ownership of property did not aid the women's movement. Zetkin further argues in both speeches that the aim of the women's movement should be a struggle against capitalism, rather than a gender-based conflict. The short piece "Save the Scottsboro Boys!" calls on members of International Red Aid to respond to the decision to put the Scottsboro Boys, eight African American teenagers falsely accused of rape, on death row.

Lou Salomé[edit]

The sixth chapter consists of selections from Salomé's 1910 book The Erotic, which explores the nature of the erotic and its interconnection with the corporeal and the mental. In the selection, Salomé draws a distinction between human eroticism and simple sexual or romantic desire, arguing that the possibility of love distinguishes human eroticism from other animals. Salomé argues that the tendency for philosophers to study the erotic by means of logic or to treat the erotic as a simple object results in a limited perspective lacking vitality or nuance. Countering these methods, Salomé attests that the erotic exists in relation between natural drives, the individual, and social life.

Rosa Luxemburg[edit]

The seventh chapter consists of selections on wage labor from Luxemburg's Introduction to Political Economy (German: Einführung in die Nationalökonomie), her unfinished work conceived from her lectures on political economy. Luxemburg's discussion of wage labor was informed by contemporary debates on Marx's theory of labor power—the capacity to labor, sold as a commodity—which had been misconstrued as equal to labor.

Edith Stein[edit]

The eighth chapter consists of excerpts from Stein's doctoral thesis and first book, On the Problem of Empathy.

Gerda Walther[edit]

The ninth chapter consists of selections from Walther's dissertation, "A Contribution to the Ontology of Social Communities", which presents an analysis of the history and methods of phenomenology, its distinction from ontology, and draws an ontology of social communities.

Reception[edit]

Writing in the journal SATS, Martin Fog Arndal praised the book as unconcerned with nationalist narratives[10] and described the selection of writers as nuanced and attentive.[11] Aftenposten's Preben Jordal [no] also praised the selection of philosophers as cohesive and expressed excitement at the book's potential to broaden the philosophical canon.[12] Choice Reviews recommended the book for lower-division undergraduates to faculty and described the book as "a much-needed contribution to literature on the history of philosophy".[13] Writing in Symphilosophie, historian of philosophy Anne Pollok praised the book's comprehensiveness,[14] stating that the book was "the perfect handbook to expand the canon" of 19th century philosophy.[15] Pollok also stated that the book was popular among researchers and instructors.[16] British philosopher Alison Stone, writing in the Journal of the History of Philosophy, praised the book and described the book's project as "particularly important", given the disproportionate influence of German philosophers during this time period.[17] Fredrik Nilsen, writing in Agora [no], praised the collection for raising awareness of philosophical figures that had traditionally been ignored, though he lamented that the book did not include the works of Hedwig Conrad-Martius or Anna Tumarkin.[6]

Arndal and Pollok were both disappointed by the book's decision to exclude certain nonstandard philosophical genres like poetry, dramas, or letters, which were frequently employed by women philosophers as a result of their exclusion from publication.[18] While Pollok sympathized with the book's aim to teach undergraduate students, she still lamented that these works were excluded, instantiating Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra and The Gay Science as examples of commonly taught non-traditional philosophical works.[19] Arndal praised the diversity of works in the volume, but was also disappointed that potential insights from poetry and novels had been lost.[20]

Translation[edit]

With the exception of Staël, the works were translated by Anna C. Ezekiel[21] with Women Philosophers serving as the first English translation for many of the works included in the book.[6] Pollok described the book's readability as "superb", praising Ezekiel's prudent use of German-language phrases.[22] Arndal also praised the translation as "highly readable and fluent".[23] A Norwegian translation was published in April 2022 by Cappelen Damm. Jordal described the Norwegian translation as "excellent".[12]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ At the time of the book's publication, Gjesdal was a professor at Temple University and Nassar was an associate professor at the University of Sydney.
  2. ^ Salomé and Luxemburg both attended the University of Zurich, one of the few institutions that accepted female students during the 19th century. In addition, Staël, Günderrode, and Salomé all published anonymously or with male pseudonyms.[5]
  3. ^ Originally translated by Margaret Fuller into English as Correspondence of Fräulein Günderode and Bettine von Arnim[9]
  4. ^ Arnim and Günderrode's names are changed to Bettine and Günderode in the book.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Gjesdal & Nassar 2022; Gjesdal 2022
  2. ^ Gjesdal 2023, 1:00–1:52; Gjesdal & Nassar 2022
  3. ^ a b Gjesdal 2022.
  4. ^ Stone 2023, p. 336: "...women were 'significant contributors' to the 'thriving intellectual cultures in German-speaking countries' at this time."
  5. ^ a b Nilsen 2022, p. 364.
  6. ^ a b c d Nilsen 2022, p. 352.
  7. ^ a b Arndal 2022, p. 218.
  8. ^ Nassar & Gjesdal 2021, p. 68: "The key premise in 'Idea of the Earth' concerns the notion of 'earth.' According to Günderrode, the earth is an 'idea' that must be realized."
  9. ^ Nassar & Gjesdal 2021, p. 89
  10. ^ Arndal 2022, p. 219.
  11. ^ Arndal 2022, pp. 220–221.
  12. ^ a b Jordal 2023, p. 26.
  13. ^ Westmoreland 2022, p. 1436.
  14. ^ Pollok 2022, p. 569.
  15. ^ Pollok 2022, p. 566: "This present volume is the perfect handbook to expand the canon of any 19th and early 20th course on European philosophy in exactly this area."
  16. ^ Pollok 2022, p. 566: "Even though just published, a lot of researchers and especially instructors are already putting it to good use..."
  17. ^ Stone 2023, p. 336: "Recognizing German women philosophers is particularly important because the vast majority of scholarship on the nineteenth century focuses on the German tradition."
  18. ^ Arndal 2022, p. 219; Pollok 2022, pp. 569–570
  19. ^ Pollok 2022, pp. 569–570: "If there is one reason to complain – and it is indeed minor – it would be that the supposed 'richness in style'...is omitted here 'mostly for pragmatic reasons'. This is understandable as this volume seeks to make available (and this includes: teachable at a beginner's level) representative philosophical texts by women philosophers. It is, at the same time, to be lamented...We do not limit ourselves to Nietzsche’s 'more philosophical' books, but digest the Gay Science and even Zarathustra. We can and should extend this courtesy to the present authors."
  20. ^ Arndal 2022, p. 219
  21. ^ Nassar & Gjesdal 2021, p. 20: "The texts in the volume have been translated by Anna C. Ezekiel, and the references in the translations are Ezekiel's, with the exception of Staël's writings, which were translated from the French by Stephen Gaukroger and Dalia Nassar, with references by Nassar."
  22. ^ Pollok 2022, p. 570: "Overall the translations by Anna C. Ezekiel are excellent; they are not littered with German phrases, but occasionally, the English translation is rather given in brackets for greater clarity or when a technical phrase is used...Readability is superb throughout."
  23. ^ Arndal 2022, p. 221: "...Nassar and Gjesdal’s introductions along with the highly readable and fluent translations offer a great insight into every author selected..."

References[edit]

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