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When I’m not reading, writing, or teaching philosophy I also love to bake elaborate cakes, do improv at the fabulous Schenectady MopCo, plan intricate escape games for my friends with my husband, Ulysses, and cuddle on the couch with my dog, Argos.

Cakes

Argos

Ulysses and Me in Italy

 

Banner Art: The Philosophers

This piece is called The Philosophers and it was painted by Lindsay Rapp. I am the proud owner of the original, but you can purchase a print on her website. The piece depicts women philosophers working and studying together. There are seven women. The number seven, Rapp explains, represents completeness and perfection. The women are adorned in gold to symbolize wisdom. The books represent the foundations of knowledge and the tall ceilings and open sky represent the limitlessness of knowledge. The plaques on the bookcases include the names of women philosophers such as Simone de Beauvoir, G.E.M. Anscombe, Hypatia, and Joyce Mitchell Cook, who is the first Black woman in the USA to receive her PhD in Philosophy. The upper level of the library is a mirror image of the The School of Athens by Raphael. The light-haired woman dressed in red is pointing slightly upwards and the brunette opposite her, dressed in blue, is pointing slightly downwards, just as Plato and Aristotle do in Raphael’s The School of Athens. The reference to Raphael’s painting is meant to reflect the evolution of philosophy in the West from what traditionally has been considered a male-dominated field to becoming (albeit slowly) more diverse and inclusive. Finally, the painting is a recognition of all the women who have made important contributions to the history of philosophy and a celebration of the many diverse contributions yet to come.

 

 

 

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