Hume on the possibility that women be philosophers

https://doi.org/10.25100/pfilosofica.v0i61S.14249

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Published: Jun 5, 2025
Issue: No. 61S (2025): Praxis Filosófica No. 61 Supplement: Hume and the Feminine. Towards a New Philosophical Narrative
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Authors

  Sofía Calvente Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina.
Abstract

Does Hume regard philosophy as an activity restricted to men only? The possibility of women being philosophers does not appear clearly in Hume's texts. On the one hand, there are no innate gender biases in his theory of human nature nor cognitive abilities in his theory of knowledge, which signal men as the only legitimate philosophers. On the other hand, when we look at cultural, political, and economic factors – what Hume calls “moral causes”– we find that there are numerous impediments to the full participation of women in the learned world. However, I aim to show that Hume believes these causes can be modified. The rise of a new commercial society offers greater opportunities for women both to participate in the public sphere and to deploy their cognitive capacity in intellectual activities.

Keywords
  • Human nature
  • Reflective attitude
  • Gender inequalities
  • Moral causes
  • Comercial society
Author Biography

Sofía Calvente, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina.

Sofía Calvente es doctora en filosofía por la Universidad Nacional de La Plata con una tesis sobre la concepción de la experiencia en la teoría del conocimiento de David Hume. Es profesora adjunta en la cátedra de Filosofía Moderna de la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (UNLP) e investigadora asistente del CONICET. Actualmente es miembro del comité ejecutivo de la Hume Society. Además de la filosofía de Hume, su trabajo de investigación se ha concentrado en la historiografía feminista de la filosofía, el experimentalismo y el materialismo moderno británicos, y la obra de filósofas modernas como Margaret Cavendish y Catharine Trotter Cockburn. Ha publicado diversos capítulos de libros y numerosos artículos en revistas nacionales e internacionales.

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How to Cite
Calvente, S. (2025). Hume on the possibility that women be philosophers. Praxis Filosófica, (61S), e20114249. https://doi.org/10.25100/pfilosofica.v0i61S.14249
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Received 2024-06-11
Accepted 2025-03-25
Published 2025-06-05
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