New Books Network Alison Stone, "Women Philosophers in Nineteenth-Century Britain" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Dec 31, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Alison Stone, a Professor of European Philosophy at Lancaster University, sheds light on the often-overlooked women philosophers of nineteenth-century Britain. She explores how these thinkers, including Mary Shepherd and Harriet Martineau, navigated societal barriers to share their work. Stone emphasizes the significance of periodical culture in their publishing success and analyses the cultural shift that rendered them forgotten. She also dives into debates on naturalism, religion, and ethics, revealing their rich contributions to philosophy.
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Massive Print Culture Opened Doors
- 19th‑century British print culture was vast, with over 110,000 periodicals enabling broad public philosophical debate.
- Anonymity and pseudonymity let many women publish serious philosophy without gendered censorship.
Professionalization Silenced Nonacademic Voices
- Professionalization and disciplinary specialization after the 1870s marginalized journal‑based, non‑academic philosophy.
- Because academia remained male, this shift helped erase many women who wrote outside university structures.
Scandals Tarnished Prominent Women
- Frances Power Cobbe, once highly respected, was attacked as hysterical for opposing vivisection and thus delegitimized.
- Helena Blavatsky faced the Coulomb Affair and Hodgson Report, which branded her work fraudulent and undermined her authority.