'Philosopher Queens': new feminist SPAIS unit aims to diversify philosophy curriculum

• The new unit from the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies challenges 'male-heavy, western-centric philosophy curriculums'

It is reportedly a 'big hit' with students

So e Kwiatkowski

News Reporter

Bristol's Social Sciences and Law Faculty are running a successful new unit for the second year in a row aiming to provide an alternate and critical history of political though to a standard course. The course is run by a senior lec- turer in Sociology, Politics and International Studies, Dr Alix Dietzel and is o ered to third years, encouraging learning that challenges maleheavy, western-centric philosophy curriculum. It has a focus on the sexist and racist nature of political philosophy, drawing attention to the exclusion of women's ideas from mainstream philosophy.

The unit was inspired by a 2020 book called The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women, edited by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting.

Participants discuss why women, and particularly women of colour, are written out of the philosophy canon, and why many others never had the opportunity to become philosophers, before discussing female philosophers and their views,

Dr Dietzel says that although putting together the unit was 'risky,' she was 'passionate about creating