Why we are
Academic philosophy suffers from a lack of both diversity and equity. More than any other discipline in the humanities, equity deserving groups — people of colour, disabled people, women, LGBTQ+ people, and (within North America) non-Anglophone philosophers — are underrepresented among students and faculty in philosophy. Many continue to face disrespect and discrimination. In recent years much has been written about the 'climate' of academic philosophy and how it contributes to this unjust state of affairs. We know that climate problems discourage some from pursuing philosophy degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level, and from pursuing philosophy as a profession. We also know that climate problems contribute to an unsupportive professional environment for those who remain.
Why Is The Problem In Philosophy So Bad?
Academic philosophy has had its share of cases of gross misconduct, including sexual harassment and racism. This harmful behaviour, which was widely denied and as a result went almost wholly unaddressed until fairly recently, contributes significantly to the discipline's lack of diversity. There are additional reasons why individuals from equity-seeking groups are underrepresented. Some subjects of study – feminist philosophy, queer theory, philosophy of disability, and philosophy of race – have traditionally been considered ‘unphilosophical’ and are not given priority in faculty hiring. Curricula are still insufficiently diverse, neglecting the contributions of philosophers of colour and thinkers from other marginalized communities, which can also contribute to student perceptions that philosophy is not a welcoming space for marginalized people. Some philosophical associations are working to change this. For example, the American Philosophical Association has an extensive Diversity and Inclusiveness Syllabus Collection. While progress has been made, efforts to include more diverse voices in philosophy teaching and research also face backlash — and even legal and political obstacles, as in the case of present-day U.S.
But It’s Not All Terrible News!
Many philosophy departments are taking seriously the equity and inclusion problems facing our discipline. Many philosophers are talking about the various issues, writing about them, and attempting to address them by diversifying the curriculum, hiring faculty from equity deserving groups, and naming and transforming exclusionary and harmful practices in philosophy teaching and research.
Significant efforts have been made to shift the climate of academic philosophy. Some examples include: initiatives from national professional associations of philosophers, such as the Canadian Society Working for Inclusion in Philosophy (CSWIP), as well as groups like PhiloSOPHIA, the Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory (FEAST), the Society for Philosophy and Disability, Canadian Philosophers of Colour, the Caribbean Philosophical Association, and the graduate student organization, Minorities and Philosophy (MAP). The American Philosophical Association publishes newsletters featuring articles and commentaries by philosophers from equity-deserving groups: APA Studies on LGBTQ Philosophy, APA Studies on Philosophy and the Black Experience, and APA Studies on Feminism and Philosophy, APA Studies on Native American and Indigenous Philosophy, and others.
How do we at Guelph measure up? Out of 16 full-time faculty members, our philosophy department has five women-identified faculty, one person of colour and two who identify as LGBTQ+. Several faculty members do research on feminist philosophy and gender theory, and one has expertise in queer theory and trans philosophy. None has a research speciality in philosophy of race, postcolonial theory, Chinese philosophy, Asian philosophy, African/Africana philosophy, or in Indigenous philosophies, but there is supervisory capacity in some of these areas, and plenty of interest in diverse philosophical traditions among graduate students.
The philosophy department is a key contributor to the program in Sexualities, Genders and Social Change, which has a major as well as a collaborative specialization track for graduate students.
The Value And Importance Of Our Work:
We believe that there is tremendous value in naming and identifying a set of problems – within the discipline and as reflected within our department – and making clear our intention to address them head-on. However, naming and identifying is only the first step. The IEC and the MAP Guelph Chapter are both working to create a social climate that is safe and inclusive, through both formal and informal channels.
We are proud to be able to add our name the list of philosophy departments that are attempting to identify and rectify both formal and informal obstacles to equality of representation in philosophy.