Privacy, Feminism, and Moral Responsibility in the Work of Elizabeth Lane Beardsley

Abstract

Abstract I consider why women philosophers, once recognized, too often seem to drop from the intellectual radar screen or, at least, to drop mainly to the land of footnotes and bibliographies. I consider one distinguished moral philosopher, Elizabeth Lane Beardsley, both to highlight her philosophical contributions and as a case study that suggests more widespread problems in recognizing the work of female philosophers and ensuring their rightful place in our professional dialogue. I consider sociological and professional factors which might partially explain why work by women philosophers has not always received the attention in the professional dialogue it seems to deserve. I conclude with some modest suggestions about the efforts that we can make to address these problems, including the organization of readings for our own courses, the sources consulted for our own research and writing, and the preservation of records of meetings and other public gatherings that recognize women philosophers.