Intern Diary: My ‘Quartet’ Introduction
Amy is a summer 2020 student intern—this is a blog about her research, reading, and work. Since...
Read More
Rachael Wiseman
Notes from a Biscuit Tin – A Year-Long Centenary Celebration of the Philosophy & Poetic Vision of Mary Midgley
We were so sad to lose Mary last year, just a month after her 99th birthday. We will mark what...
Read More
Rachael Wiseman & Jane Heal discuss Anscombe for the BA Great Thinkers Podcast series
Jane Heal FBA and Dr Rachael Wiseman discuss highlights of Anscombe’s exceptional life,...
Read More
Join us at the British Academy Summer Showcase!
We can’t wait to share our project at the British Academy Summer Showcase, 21-22 June 2019....
Read More
Why the world needs Iris Murdoch’s philosophy of ‘unselfing’
We were delighted to talk with Joe Humphreys at the Irish Times about Iris Murdoch’s...
Read More
Wartime Quartet Royal Institute Reading Group – Some Reflections
by Ana Barandalla We have completed the Wartime Quartet Reading Group in London, where it...
Read More
Clare at the Royal Institute of Philosophy
Clare was at the Royal Instite of Philosophy, presenting her paper ‘Depicting Human...
Read More
Mary Midgley: An Introduction, by Greg McElwain – pre-order now!
Dr Greg McElwain’s Mary Midgley: An Introduction is due for release on November 14. We...
Read More
Philosophy by Postcard! Celebrate Murdoch’s centenary with us!
To celebrate the centenary of Murdoch An Post are issuing a beautiful commemorative stamp on 15th...
Read More
Rachael at the Royal Institute of Philosophy
Rachael was at the Royal Instite of Philosophy, presenting her paper ‘Anscombe on Brute...
Read More
Notes on Mary Midgley: Style and Substance, Ian Ground (10/11/18)
At the Midgley Archive Launch we heard a series of wonderful talks from distinguished guests....
Read More
Mary Midgley and our Need For (Good) Philosophy, Ian James Kidd (10/11/18)
At the Midgley Archive Launch we heard a series of wonderful talks from distinguished guests....
Read More
Carrying on the Midgley legacy: inspiration from the archive, Jane Heal (10/11/2018)
At the Midgley Archive Launch we heard a series of wonderful talks from distinguished guests....
Read More
Geoff and Mary Midgley – Two Kinds of Philosopher. David Midgley (10/11/2018)
At the Midgley Archive Launch we heard a series of wonderful short talks from distinguished...
Read More
Durham University acquires archive of Mary Midgley – Join us for the launch this Saturday (10th November 2018)
Durham University’s Palace Green Library has acquired the archive of the world-famous philosopher...
Read More
Royal Institute of Philosophy Centenary Celebration Lecture Series
We’re excited to be part of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Centenary Celebration of the...
Read More
New Reading Groups! Join in or start your own!
Four wonderful Women In Parenthesis Reading Groups are just starting – now is the perfect...
Read More
Anscombe Archive at University of Pennsylvania
We are just back from an incredible trip to Philadelphia and the Collegium Institute and UPenn...
Read More
In Parenthesis at UPenn, USA and Queens, Canada – read our talk
We are just back from the wonderful Anscombe Archive at the Collegium Institute, UPenn. While we...
Read More
Is Philosophy Like Plumbing?
Our wonderful intern Ellie Robinson reflects on Midgley’s suggestion that philosophers are...
Read More
Speaker Vulnerability and the Patriarchal University. By Lara Coleman
A Response and Tribute to Pamela Sue Anderson I never quite crossed paths with Pamela Sue...
Read More
Silencing the Men!
We were delighted to be invited to write for the BroadAgenda. Read our blogpost here. ...
Read More
Amber, Anna, and Annie at the Iris Murdoch Society conference
We’ve just been at the brilliant Iris Murdoch Society Annual Conference. We are so proud of...
Read MoreOur Cocoa Parties: A Brief Reflection by Annie McCallian
Annie McCallian, our student research assistant, reflects on the Durham reading group In November 2016, as part of the In Parenthesis project’s aim to uncover the intellectual conditions of the wartime group, several close...
Read MoreTestimony: Lesley Jamieson, PhD Candidate, Queen’s University Kingston
Inspired by In Parenthesis, our own research group has spent our last few sessions examining some essays by Anscombe and Murdoch. I have found seeing these philosophers as part of a distinct school of thought very helpful to...
Read More
Testimony: Mark Hopwood, Lecturer, Sewanee
Read about the reading group at Sewanee. Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Warnock.
Read More
Women in Philosophy Reading Group: At Sewanee
Read about the reading group at Sewanee. Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Warnock.
Read MoreReading schedule & tips
– written by Annie McCallion The texts set here, as well as their subsequent questions are intended to serve as a guide for organisers of the group. For each section I have provided set texts; this is in addition to texts which...
Read MoreThe ‘practical problem’ of collective justice by Samuel Cooper
Sam Cooper discusses the content of a letter sent by Anscombe to Foot, discussing Aquinas’ views on charity and justice. This post concerns the ‘practical problem’.
Read MoreThe ‘abstract problem’ of collective justice by Samuel Cooper
Sam Cooper discusses the content of a letter sent by Anscombe to Foot, discussing Aquinas’ views on charity and justice. This post concerns the ‘abstract problem’.
Read MoreWhat influence did Wittgenstein and Aquinas have on Anscombe and Foot? by Samuel Cooper
Both Foot and Anscombe talk about Aquinas quite often, and both of them seem to take it for granted that Aquinas’ thought can be elucidated by thinking about it from directions provided by Wittgenstein; not just that Aquinas can be corrected or improved by the addition of a Wittgensteinian perspective, but rather that what Aquinas himself actually thought can be elucidated by looking at his work from such an angle. Both of them do this quite often, sometimes implicitly and sometimes explicit, but almost always very casually, as if it is quite obvious that this is how it should be. But in what sense in Aquinas Wittgensteinian?!
Read More
Listen to our Women in the History of Philosophy lecture
Clare and Rachael delivered the 2017 Annual Women in the History of Philosophy lecture at...
Read More
‘Rings and Books’ by Mary Midgley
Midgley wrote this essay in the mid-1950s for BBC radio. In her memoir The Owl of Minerva, she recalls:
“I wrote it because I had suddenly been struck by the fact that nearly all the famous philosophers whose lives we know about were lifelong bachelors…
Read MorePhilippa Foot ‘Sir’ letter
Photo of Certificate, Photo of letter, Guidance Qs (t. b. w) In May 1983, Philippa Foot was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was sent a rather grand certificate (click to enlarge) informing...
Read MoreABC Philosophy Zone
Link to external website – summary (tbw) Listen to Dr Mary Midgley and Dr Rachael Wiseman discussing ‘The Golden Age of Female Philosophy’, and its relevant for discussions about women in philosophy today, with Fiona Jenkins on...
Read MoreSilencing and Speaker Vulnerability: Undoing an oppressive form of (wilful) ignorance
by Pamela Sue Anderson Essay, Photo, Guidance Qs (t.b.w.) Pamela wrote this paper for our International Women’s Day Conference 2016 [link], Resounding Voices: Women, Silence and the Production of Knowledge. It is with her...
Read MoreAnscombe, Foot, Midgley and Murdoch: A female philosophical school?
Clare and Rachael gave this talk for the Sheffield ‘Women in the History of Philosophy’ lecture, 2017. Listen or read.
Read MoreThen and Now
by Mary Midgley Mary Midgley Considers How What Is Called Philosophy Has Changed Since She And Her Friends First Plunged Into It Changes In World-Pictures. When we four people started studying Philosophy at Oxford in the early...
Read More
We’re in the wonderful Hannah Directory!
Hannah Directory highlights people and organisations doing great things in places in the north of...
Read MoreIris Murdoch lifeline
We’ve done our best to make sure this lifeline is accurate and complete. Please let us know if you spot any errors or omissions. Jean Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) 1919 (15 July) Born in Phibsborough, Ireland, to...
Read MorePhilippa Foot lifeline
We’ve done our best to make sure this lifeline is accurate and complete. Please let us know if you spot any errors or omissions. Philippa Ruth Foot (1920-2010) 1920 (3 October) Born to Esther Cleveland and...
Read MoreMary Midgley lifeline
We’ve done our best to make sure this lifeline is accurate and complete. Please let us know if you spot any errors or omissions. Mary Beatrice Midgley (1919-2018) 1919 (13 September) Born in London to Lesley and Tom...
Read MoreElizabeth Anscombe lifeline
We’ve done our best to make sure this lifeline is accurate and complete. Please let us know if you spot any errors or omissions. Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe (1919-2001) 1919 (18 March) Born to Gertrude...
Read More
A “world of women” on International Women’s Day!
Thanks to everyone who came to our International Women’s Day conference yesterday! And of...
Read More
In Parenthesis on ABC radio’s Philosopher’s Zone
Listen to Rachael Wiseman and Mary Midgley on The Philosopher’s Zone for Australian national...
Read More
International Women’s Day is a week on Wednesday! Register for our conference
There’s just over a week to register for our International Women’s Day conference:...
Read More
Register now for IWD2017! ‘Unsettling the Myths We Live By’
We’ve a wonderful programme for our conference and registration is now open. Details here....
Read More
New readings for In Parenthesis reading group
We’ve put some suggested readings up for the meetings in February, March, April and May. Do...
Read More
British Philosophy in 1957
1957 saw the publication of Anscombe’s Intention, Geach’s Mental Acts and O’Shaughnessy’s landmark...
Read More
IWD 2017: Unsettling the Myths we Live By – Don’t miss our CFP deadline 12.12.16
Don’t forget to send us your abstracts by noon Monday 12th December. Proposal for 20 minute...
Read MoreIWD 2017: Unsettling the Myths we Live By: Feminist Perspectives on Human Nature, Culture and Freedom
We are really excited to announce the theme for our 2017 International Women’s Day Conference. Those of you who joined us last year will know what a wonderfully productive and inspiring celebration this day is. So, save...
Read MoreReading Group on Philippa Foot
We have our third In Parenthesis reading group on September 30th. With a little help from Cora Diamond we’ve selected three great pieces by Philippa Foot. See here for details. #inparenthesisRG
Read MorePhilippa Foot’s response to being addressed as ‘Sir’
In May 1983, Philippa Foot was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was sent a rather grand certificate (click to enlarge) informing her of the honor: As you may notice, the certificate is...
Read MoreWomen in the History of Philosophy conference
University of Cambridge’s fantastic Women in Philosophy group are hosting a conference on 9th June, with talks covering women throughout the history of philosophy. We’ll be there talking about ‘The Golden Age...
Read MoreJoin our reading group!
We’re starting a reading group — join us! Anscombe, Foot, Midgley and Murdoch were undergraduates together at Oxford University during WWII. Each month we’ll set readings by these remarkable women, and discuss...
Read MoreIWD photos now available
Rachel and Ilana were at our conference taking wonderful photos all day. We’ve published a selection on our website — please feel free to browse, download and share. We’re planning to print our favourites and...
Read MoreMidgley keynote: Silence about Silence
Our International Women’s Day conference is just 2 days away. We’re really excited. Over 90 people have registered to join us, so it should be a wonderful celebration of women’s voices. Just to remind you, we...
Read MorePublishing advice slots with Bloomsbury almost full!
Liza Thompson, Senior Commissioning Editor at Bloomsbury, will be offering publishing advice at the IWD conference. When you register for the conference, you can also book an appointment to discuss a proposal, and idea, or a...
Read MoreRegistration for IWD conference opens on Monday 8 February
We are finalising a fantastic programme for our Resounding Voices conference on March 8th 2016. We have three amazing keynotes — Mary Midgley, Katharine Cockin, and Pamela Sue Anderson — and over 25 other speakers...
Read MoreThird Keynote: Mary Midgley
We are so excited to confirm that Mary Midgley will join us at our International Women’s Day conference. Midgley was part of an extraordinary group of women at Oxford University in the 1930s. The prominence of Midgley,...
Read MoreInterview with Mary Warnock
Last week Liza, Clare and I went along with Lindsay (our film-crew!), to interview Mary Warnock at her London home. We’ll be posting some sound-extracts from the interview here in the coming weeks (along with some from our...
Read MoreSecond keynote: Professor Pamela Sue Anderson
We are ready to announce our second fantastic keynote for our International Women’s Day conference: Resounding Voices. Professor Anderson, from University of Oxford will be joining us to speak on themes connected to her...
Read MoreInterview with Mary Midgley
Clare, Luna, and I went along to interview Mary Midgley today at her home in Newcastle. We spent an incredible 90 minutes learning about life in Oxford during the 1930s and 40s, and hearing her thoughts on the contemporary lot...
Read MoreBloomsbury wine reception
Bloomsbury Press will be sponsoring a wine reception at our Resounding Voices conference. Thanks Liza and Bloomsbury!
Read MoreInterview with Mary Midgley
Mary Midgley has generously offered us her time on Monday, so we’re off to interview her about the Golden Age of female philosophy! We’ve got our own list of questions, but if there’s anything you think we...
Read MoreFirst Keynote: Professor Katharine Cockin
We’re excited to announce our first keynote speaker for our Re-Sounding Voices conference. Katharine Cockin is Professor of English at Hull University. She’ll be speaking about A Pageant of Great Women, a women’s...
Read MoreCall for Papers: Interdisciplinary International Women’s Day Conference, Durham University, 8 March 2016
Re-Sounding Voices: Women, Silence and the Production of Knowledge The celebrated history of the sciences and arts is dominated by the voices of great men, whereas the voices of women have often been marginalised. While much has...
Read MoreInternational Women’s day Conference @ Durham
Save the date! We’re excited! We’re organising a conference for International Women’s Day (March 8th, 2016) on the theme of ‘Re-Sounding Voices: Women, Silence and the Production of Knowledge’. It...
Read MoreMeeting Mary Warnock in the House of Lords
Liza and I were down in London on Thursday to meet with Mary Warnock. Baroness Warnock has recently retired from the House of Lords, but we met her there to talk about In Parenthesis and to find out what she could remember about...
Read MoreSWIP Ireland – 18th September 2015
In Parenthesis will be launched at the SWIP Ireland Mentoring Workshop: Philosophy, Women and Working Environments. Newman House, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 1.
Read More