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What is Feminism?
Feminism is a movement and ideology advocating for women's rights based upon the fundamental principle of equality among the sexes. Historically, gender roles and stereotypes have been created from a predominantly male perspective, leading to unfairness and injustice. Feminism seeks to educate societies about these stereotypes and establish the equal political, economic, social, and cultural status of women everywhere. Empowered by feminist ideology, many advances in women’s suffrage, reproductive rights, educational opportunity, female employment and pay equity, and personal freedoms have been made in recent years.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
Derived from the Greek meaning “love of wisdom,” philosophy is the study of existence, knowledge, morality, and truth. Simplistically, philosophy strives to help answer big questions about ourselves and the world. There are many branches of philosophy, including:
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Metaphysics: the study of reality and existence
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Epistemology: the study of knowledge and belief
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Ethics: the study of morality, or right and wrong
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Logic: the study of reasoning and argument
There are also other branches of philosophy that overlap with various fields, including the philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, philosophy of languages, and feminist philosophy.
Unlike scientific knowledge, which is based upon experimentation, philosophy emphasizes questioning, rational argument, deductive reasoning, and self-reflection. The pursuit of basic philosophical questions using these methods is critical for understanding every facet of our existence.
WHY FEMINISM AND PHILOSOPHY?
While feminism and philosophy seem like different fields, they both are essential to our understanding of the world and our place in it. Feminist philosophy is the intersection of these incredibly important fields. Approaching philosophy from a feminist perspective means more than just applying traditional teachings to the lives of women. Instead, feminist philosophy recognizes the prior biases in philosophical thought and re-examines philosophical questions and answers, both acknowledging differences between the genders and recognizing the important, equal role that women play in our society. We can use lessons and perspectives from both feminism and philosophy to help us examine many of the pressing issues of today, such as gender identity and societal gender roles, humanitarian crises predominantly affecting women and children, professional hiring and promotion, and equal pay for female athletes!