About Us

We are four undergraduate students studying at Buffalo State. Our project was assisted by Dr. Blessing and Dr. Duffy, both faculty members at Buffalo State.

From left to right: Dr. Blessing, Rachael, Carissa, Sarah, Sam, and Dr. Duffy.

Carissa

Prambanan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Hello! I am currently a junior majoring in philosophy and minoring in arts history. I will be graduating in May of 2014 with a B.A. in Philosophy and an Arts History minor, and hoping to continue my education in either International Relations or Arts History. Learning and acquiring knowledge have been a very important factor in my life and one of the reasons I am a part of this project. I am interested in an array of subjects ranging from music, literature, art, history, psychology, philosophy, and etc. In philosophy, my interests revolve around questions of meaning of life, the basis of morality, aesthetics, and metaphysics. The women and philosophy project caught my eye as a vehicle to bring awareness of the contributions women have made in the philosophical world. In my philosophy classes, there rarely existed a time when women philosophers were mentioned except for a few in contemporary times. I want to explore the role of women in philosophy and understand the contributions each women may have made in the field. I hope this blog will bring an awareness of this disparity in the philosophical field and help people to see whether the disparity exists within their own field as well. 

“But it seemed to me that this was the way we all lived: full to the brim with gratitude and joy one day, wrecked on the rocks the next. Finding the balance between the two was the art and the salvation.” --The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

Rachael

I plan on graduating Spring 2014 with a B.S. in English Education (7-12) and a Philosophy minor. My academic areas of interest include philosophy, literature, education, writing, ethics, worldviews, film, and the history of the English language. I have taken over six courses in the area of philosophy (including this one) ranging topically from ethics to ancient. My reasons for participating in this independent study stem primarily from my interest in the discipline of philosophy as a whole and curiosity about thoughtful, interested, and curious women throughout history who have dealt with various cultural and legal constraints.

Sam 

I am a senior majoring in philosophy and minoring in women and gender studies. I will be graduating December 2013 with a B.A. in Philosophy and am considering furthering my education in either philosophy or sociology with a concentration in gender studies. My academic interests are existentialism, ethics, social construction theory, and gender/sexuality. I was interested in participating in this independent study because of my general interest of gender issues and having the opportunity to combine two areas of study into one class. I am most excited to look more closely at contemporary women philosophers who write about the gender issues in society today, while also looking back throughout history to see how women have evolved within the discipline of philosophy.

Sarah

I am a senior majoring in both philosophy and urban and regional planning and analysis. In May of 2013, I will be graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and a second major in Urban and Regional Planning and Analysis. I am most interested in issues of equality and justice, as well as human potential and Aristotelian flourishing. My academic focus as of late has been concentrated around how ethical considerations can influence community development in such a way as to promote flourishing of vulnerable populations within cities and regions. This includes women, as well as the poor, elderly, young, or those of a minority population. I am also interested in women's issues and women's rights. I chose to participate in this project because I am very interested in understanding how women have contributed to philosophy throughout history, despite the fact that they've rarely been recognized in the past. I am passionate about philosophy and look forward to understanding the struggles and accomplishments of women who have gone before.