Philosophy & Philosophers

Some select quotations from 20th century political philosopher Hannah Arendt, critic of totalitarianism.

Her support for revolutionary black activist George Jackson led to her arrest as a conspirator in the abortive attempt to free Jackson from a Marin County, California, courtroom. Biography and links to other Net resources including articles by Davis and interviews with Davis.

Hypatia, a mathematician, was an important pagan philosopher. Hypatia of Alexandria was a popular teacher in the Roman empire. Her students were pagan and Christian young men from around the empire. She was killed by a mob of Christians in 415, probably inflamed by the bishop of Alexandria, Cyril.

Biography of Ayn Rand, mother of objectivism.

Often neglected in studying Enlightenment philosophy is this early feminist.

One of Descartes' correspondents and students, she later converted to Christianity and abdicated the throne.

Arendt's papers at the U.S. Library of Congress have been digitized, with over 75,000 digital images. Arendt was a political philosopher and educator of the 20th century. The collection includes her notes from the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

An ancient Greek philosopher on a woman's "proper" role.

This biography focuses on Simone De Beauvoir as philosopher.

A "Philosophy on the Internet" site honors Transcendentalist Elizabeth Palmer Peabody with this short biographical sketch.

Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus, with radical ideas like "Women have received from the gods the same ability to reason that men have."

The Guardian spotlights Mary Warnock, a philosopher and educator, focusing on her book about ethics of embryology.