As a student who enjoys philosophy not only as a subject at school, but as a hobby and interest outside of academics, I believe our syllabus to be seriously lacking in female representation. The MATSEC A Level philosophy syllabus covers the thoughts and principles of over thirty influential philosophers, all of which are men. Though men have dominated this field for centuries, it does not mean that their female counterparts have not had an undeniable impact on the world of philosophical thought today. Women’s voices have been silenced enough, and as philosophy enthusiasts, we cannot expect philosophy to progress by ignoring the many suppressed opinions and ideas of female philosophers, who are often underestimated and whose perspectives are constantly overlooked. Simone De Beauvoir, a philosopher I happen to be a big fan of, is only ever mentioned in relation to her partner Sartre, despite her many famous works in the fields of feminism and existentialism, such as ‘The Second Sex’, and ‘The Ethics of Ambiguity’. She had a significant impact on existentialist thought, yet is ignored as Sartre is praised for ideas he would never have discovered without her influence. This is just one example which I feel proves the inequality present within our syllabus, and I hope that this petition will show the MATSEC board that I am not the only student who is hoping for change.

Please note that my wish for female philosophical representation is not political or an aim to include women just for the sake of equality (despite these being valid reasons in themselves). I sincerely believe that many women, had they been born in a time less plagued by misogyny, would certainly be more recognised and impactful within the field of philosophy. I am not aiming to fit a quota or agenda, but I instead wish to amplify the voices of those who have been repeatedly silenced, mistreated, and underestimated. Philosophy from the perspective of those who have lived in subordination is in itself a perspective we should look further into as thinkers. A few of my suggestions for women who we could perhaps include in the syllabus are (as previously mentioned) Simone De Beauvoir, who could form part of the ethics syllabus; Mary Astell, who discussed political philosophy during the time of Locke and Rousseau; and Hypatia, who was a classical philosopher from Greece.