Southern recently hosted two significant international events: the “Lost Voices: Women Philosophers and Scientists from Traditions Around the World” conference, and the Libori Croatia Connecticut Fall School for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
Both events, co-sponsored by Southern’s Philosophy Department, the Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists (Germany), and the Research Center for Women in Philosophy (Croatia), celebrated the contributions of overlooked women philosophers and scientists across global traditions, including Indigenous American, African, Asian, and European. This collaboration marks the first time the Libori School, which originated in Germany, has been held on our campus.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Chelsea Harry, professor of philosophy, highlighted the conference’s goal of expanding what “counts” as philosophy. She explained that the event aimed to raise “awareness about some of the voices who have been left out of our canons,” encouraging attendees to foster “epistemic humility and openness” in traditionally Eurocentric fields.
The conference featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including:
- Dr. Pedro Pricladnitzky (Brazil/Germany), a research fellow focused on early modern philosophy and Brazilian women philosophers, and co-director of the Latin American Women Philosophers Talk Series.
- Dr. Betty Wambui (New York), whose work emphasizes African feminist philosophies and critical race theory, and who advocates for inclusivity in philosophical traditions.
- Dr. Ivana Skuhala Karasman (Croatia), whose research delves into the impact of communism on Southeast European women philosophers.
- Dr. Tamara Albertini (Hawaii), an expert on comparative philosophy, presented on pre-modern feminist thought through figures such as Hildegard of Bingen.
- Prof. Nina Dudley (SCSU), specialist in indigenous philosophies, underscored Southern’s commitment to diverse perspectives within the discipline.
A follow-up discussion with Prof. Nina Dudley will be held Friday, Nov. 22 at 1:10 p.m. EST on Zoom. Anyone interested in attending should email Prof. Harry for details.
