The conference “Women Phenomenologists on Social Ontology”, held last week (February 11th – 12th) at the Philosophy Department of Paderborn University, gathered world-class researchers in this area. Organised by Prof. Dr. Ruth Hagengruber (Teaching and Research Area “History of Women Philosophers and Scientists”) and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Luft (DAAD-Professor, Paderborn University/Marquette University, USA), the event motivated fruitful discussions and prompted lively exchange.
Invited speakers from Israel, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Austria and Germany gave talks about Women Phenomenologists as Edith Stein, Hedwig Conrad-Martius and Gerda Walther in relation to issues of social ontology. The aim of the conference was to show that, contrary to many movements in the history of philosophy, the Phenomenological Movement has from its beginnings included numerous female philosophers. They contributed substantially to the phenomenological project by developing outstanding philosophical accounts and addressing problems, which remain relevant until today.
The conference was a great success for the organizers, as well as for the participants of the event. It offered us a unique opportunity to expand our network and establish contacts among researchers working in this area from around the world.
The event was followed by an International Graduate and Post-Graduate Conference on “Women Phenomenologists on Social Ontology”, which gathered a cohort of excellent young researchers from all over Europe and beyond. It was divided into two parallel sections: the first one focused on Hannah Arendt and social ontology, as well as feminist phenomenology, and the second one considered the social-ontological theories of Edith Stein, Gerda Walther and Hedwig Conrad-Martius.
The event has been organized with generous support of DAAD and Paderborn University.
For the programme of both conferences and more, see: upb.de/women-in-phenomenology
Maria Robaszkiewicz und Julia Mühl
