The major figures of modern Western philosophy are almost without exception White and male, while women philosophers and those from underrepresented groups tend to be marginalized.
But a new collection at Haverford College in Pennsylvania aims to showcase philosophers who are not White and not male. At a recent reception, associate professor of philosophy Jerry Miller unveiled the Gladstone Lee Mohan (GLM) Collection. Gladstone is a 2018 graduate of Haverford and Lee and Mohan are currently seniors at Haverford. They came up with the idea of for collection in 2017 and worked with Joel Yurdin, chair of the philosophy department at the college to make it happen.
“There is a great deal of outstanding philosophical literature by authors from underrepresented backgrounds, and this literature needs to be better known among philosophy students and faculty,” says Dr. Yurdin. “This collection is one step in our department’s broader commitment to philosophical pluralism.”
Elana Wolff a staff member in the philosophy department adds that “as a group the philosophy faculty are acutely aware of the historically White- and male-centered nature of their profession and have been actively working to counteract this tendency, in their hiring practices, in their teaching, and in the welcome they provide for their students.”
