Women and Philosophy – PHIL 312
Room LSN 134
Wednesdays: 4:00pm - 6:40pm
Instructor: Alison M. Brown, Ph.D., Esq.
Office: AL 440
Office Hours: After class and by appointment.
Email: AlisonMarieBrown@gmail.com
Phone: (650) 906-99141
Prerequisite:
Completion of the General Education requirement in Foundations of Learning II.C., Humanities.
Required Text:
 “Autonomy, Gender, and Politics” by Marilyn Friedman, Oxford University Press 2003,
ISBN: 978-0195138511
 “Feminism: A Very Short Introduction” by Margaret Walters, Oxford University Press 2006,
ISBN: 97801928051022
 Articles posted on blackboard and available online (as indicated in the last section of this
syllabus).
Course Description:
Exploration of women's contributions to philosophy, both present and historically. Concepts
relating to women and femininity, both by the philosophical canon and by more recent feminist
philosophers.
The course explores various contributions of women – especially women before 1800 – to
philosophy. Much of the material is based on in-class lectures, but students will do independent
research. Students in the course look at works of many unknown or not well known writers and
attempt to engage their works on their own terms. Students will read and summarize works of
these philosophers in their own words, compare and contrast these philosophers’ ideas, apply
them to contemporary issues and concerns.
Course Goals:
Completing this course helps students to do the following in greater depth:
1. analyze written, visual, or performed texts in the humanities and fine arts with sensitivity
to their diverse cultural contexts and historical moments;
2. describe various aesthetic and other value systems and the ways they are communicated
across time and cultures;
3. identify issues in the humanities that have personal and global relevance;
4. demonstrate the ability to approach complex problems and ask complex questions
drawing upon knowledge of the humanities.
1
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me, maybe, but only in the event of a true
emergency.
2
There are (relatively) inexpensive new and used copies of these books available online.
Course Objectives:
 After taking this course, students will be able identify important women philosophers,
match them to their respective eras and works, relate and situate their ideas with other
philosophers’ ideas (especially their respective contemporaries), and communicate these
women’s major arguments.
o These outcomes are assessment by objective style exams (i.e., matching
questions, short answer questions, multiple choice questions).
 Students will stake and defend a position from philosopher’s perspective by applying it
to some other concept; this will require comparing and contrasting perspectives,
negotiating differences, contextualizing the original philosopher’s position, and arguing
for (or against) such a position.
o This outcome to be measured by several writing exercises in which a student
summarizes a philosopher’s position, evaluates commentaries written
commentaries of that philosopher, applies that position to a contemporary issue,
and argues for (or against) that position.
 Students will be able to locate and identify scholarly articles relating to the course.
o This is measured by the students’ summarizing and citing appropriate sources in
their written work.
 Students will correctly cite and refer to external sources in their work.
o This is assessed in the students’ written work wherein they are required to apply
correct citation methods.
Expectations I have of you:
Students are expected to have read and thought about the assigned text and to arrive on time. In
addition to expecting you to meaningfully contribute to class, I also ask that you do everything to
foster a professional and positive learning environment. While I strongly encourage vigorous
debate, I expect that everyone will treat others respectfully at all times. I also ask that you do
nothing to distract me or classmates during class. In particular, please only use laptops or other
electronic devices in class to take notes and access course-related materials. Also, I beg of you to
curb electronic distractions: turn cell phones off, refrain from playing computer games, abstain
from using all communication tools such as email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Chatroulette, or webcams during class. Also, please disable/pause your Shake Weight
screensaver or otherwise distracting graphics, and YouTube how-to videos.
Course Assignments:
 Reading Quizzes: You are not required to attend any of the lectures. If you do attend and
have at least skimmed the assigned reading material, you’ll have the opportunity to earn
10% of your overall grade.
 Exams: There will be 3 exams, 2 during the semester and 1 final exam.
Grading:
 Reading Quizzes:
 Exam 1:
 Exam 2:
 Exam 3:
10%
25%
25%
40%
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-59
Academic Honor Policy:
Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities: http://csrr.sdsu.edu/index.html. Plagiarism
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism) or cheating may result in a grade of “F” for the course.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
University policies regarding ADA-compliant accommodations and procedures to receive
accommodations: http://oerc.sdsu.edu/disabled-student.html
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately, to discuss
specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you need
accommodation due to a disability, but you have not registered with Student Disability Services
at (619) 594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an appointment to
see me.
Student Privacy and Intellectual Property:
I will protect your privacy by not distributing or posting grades in a way that allows anyone other
than the individual student to access them. In addition, San Diego State University policy grants
to students intellectual property rights to work products they create as part of a course unless
they are formally notified otherwise. Furthermore, I expect each of you to abide by these policies
in your dealings with fellow students.
DATE
Aug. 26
TOPIC
Intro
READING ASSIGNMENT
Introductions; go over syllabus; mini-lecture
 “Introduction” (The Second Sex) by Simone De Bauvoir - Bb
(18 pgs) – Please read this prior to coming to class
 “Plato’s Women” by C.D.C. Reeve – Bb (11 pgs) to be read in
class
Sept. 2
Feminism and Historical 
Women in Philosophy
“Feminism: A Very Short Introduction” by Margaret Walters –
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 (74 pgs)
Sept. 9
Feminism and Historical 
Women in Philosophy

Sept. 16
Autonomy

“Feminism: A Very Short Introduction” by Margaret Walters –
Chapters 7, 8, & 9 (43 pgs)
“Autonomy, Gender, and Politics” by Marilyn Friedman –
Chapter 1 (29 pgs)
“Autonomy, Gender, and Politics” by Marilyn Friedman –
Chapters 2, 3, & 4 (68 pgs)
Sept. 23
Autonomy

Sept. 30
Oct. 7
EXAM 1
Ethics


“Autonomy, Gender, and Politics” by Marilyn Friedman –
Chapters 5, 6, & 7 (65 pgs)
Exam 1
“In a Different Voice” by Carol Gilligan – Bb (11 pgs)
“Other Voices, Other Rooms?” by George Sher – Bb (11 pgs)
Oct. 14
Perspectives, (and some
case law)


“An Ethics of Caring” by Nel Noddings – Bb (25 pgs)
“A Woman’s Rightful Place” – Bb (43 pgs)

“Feminist Perspectives on Rape”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-rape/ (19 pgs)
“The Reasonable Woman” by Kim Lane Scheppele – Bb (6 pgs)
State v. Rusk – Bb
State v. Kelly – Bb



Oct. 21
Prostitution and
Pornography
Oct. 28
Exam 2
Nov. 4
Pregnancy and
Contraception


“Not a Moral Issue” by Catharine MacKinnon – Bb (16 pgs)
Feminists Perspectives on Sex Markets
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminist-sex-markets/ (18 pgs)
 Discussion of 50 Shades of Grey?
Exam 2



Nov. 11
Nov. 18
No School
Eugenics
Nov. 25
Pre-Thanksgiving
No Class
Abortion
Dec. 2
Election day  Go Vote!
Veterans’ Day
 “Cleansing the Gene Pool” – Bb (35 pgs)
 “Eugenics” http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/eugenics/ (25 pgs)
 “Wrongful Life, Procreative Responsibility, and the Significance
of Harm” by Seana valentine Shiffrin – Bb (22 pgs)
Go home to your friends and families



Dec. 9
Dec. ???
Wrap up any leftovers
and Review
FINAL EXAM
“Pregnancy, Birth, and Medicine” http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-pregnancy/ (19 pgs)
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Geduldig v. Aiello (1974) – Pregnancy as Disability
“A Defense of Abortion” by Judith Jarvis Thomson - Bb (14 pgs)
“Abortion and the Conflict of Claims” by Joel Feinberg – Bb (13
pgs)
Roe v. Wade - Bb