PhD Courses in Denmark

Dates: 18 - 22 August 2025

The Summer School on Women’s History of Philosophy offers an in-depth exploration of the contributions of women philosophers primarily from Early Modern Europe. While the first wave of feminism erupted in the middle of the 19th century, the main concerns behind it were already central in earlier stages of European philosophy. Through a series of keynote lectures, seminars, field trips, and collaborative discussions, participants will engage with primary texts and critically reassess the philosophical canon across Europe in order to better understand the intricacies of what is commonly known as the querelle des femmes.

The program provides a rigorous academic environment for students and researchers interested in integrating feminist historiography into philosophical studies. By examining both well-known and overlooked figures, the Summer School fosters a more inclusive understanding of philosophy’s intellectual heritage that explicitly considers women’s writings and agency.

Learning objectives
The general aim of the course is to provide students with deeper knowledge of women’s writing within the history of philosophy as well as gaining methodological insights necessary to understand these.

• Knowledge of relevant methodologies developed to understand questions related to gender in history.
• Knowledge of reading strategies and assessments of manuscript works.
• Through lectures and readings, the student’s will be equipped with knowledge of the recent strands within philosophical historiography and feminist theory.
• Knowledge of women philosophers and critical canon-assessment.

Target group
The Summer School is primarily open to advanced MA students, PhD students or postdocs in philosophy or related fields. The target group is first and foremost students who work within the field of history of European philosophy and more particularly those who work with women from that period.

Keynote speakers

• Sabrina Ebbersmeyer (KU).
• Irina Hron (KU)
• Christian Benne (KU)
• Kristin Gjesdal (Temple University)
• Lucie Duggan (SDU & Linköping University)
• Nicolai von Eggers (KU)
• Cecilia Rosengreen (Göteborg)
• Martin Fog Arndal (KU)

Preliminary programme - the final programme will be posted once finalised

18 August
Keynote: Introductory Lecture – Sabrina Ebbersmeyer (KU).
Keynote: Irina Hron (KU) – Reading Philosophical Texts.

• Group Work: Close-reading philosophical texts.

Keynote: Christian Benne (KU) – Genres of Philosophy.

19 August
Theme: European Women in the Long Nineteenth Century.
Keynote: Kristin Gjesdal (Temple University) – Women in the Romantic Philosophical Tradition.

• Workshop with Gjesdal the entire day.

20 August
Theme: Reading Early Modern Manuscripts.
Lecture: Lucie Duggan (SDU & Linköping University) and Sabrina Ebbersmeyer (KU).

• Excursion: Karen Brahe’s Library, Roskilde.

21 August
Theme: Liberty in a European Context.
Lecture I: Nicolai von Eggers (KU) – Liberté and Égalité of All Genders.

• Group work

Lecture II: TBC

• Presentations by students.
• Feedback sessions.

22 August
Theme: Equality in Early Modern Scandinavia.
Keynote: Cecilia Rosengreen (Göteborg).

• Discussion
• Discussion

Lecture: Martin Fog Arndal (KU) – Equality in Early Modern Scandinavian Women.

• Group Work: Close-reading and discussion.
• Presentations by students.
• Feedback sessions.

Language: English

ECTS: 3.2

Max. numbers of participants: 120.

Course fee
There is no fee for the summer school, however transportation (including an excursion to Roskilde), accommodation and food must be paid for by the students themselves.

Preparation

Submit an abstract
When registering you must also submit an abstract to be accepted to the summer school. Abstracts must be max 250 words in length and contain a brief statement on why you are applying to the summer school and what you hope to gain from it. The deadline for submitting an abstract is 1 June 2025. 

How to submit an abstract

1. Send an email with your abstract included as an attachment (acceptable formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .pdf)
2. Make sure that the subject line of the email reads: “Abstract Copenhagen Summer School 2025”
3. Address the email to Martin Fog Arndal.

Registration: Please register via the link in the box no later than 1 June 2025.

Further information: For more information about the PhD course, please contact Martin Fog Arndal (martinarndal@hum.ku.dk) or Marie Poder Bjerregaard (mpb@hum.ku.dk).

Literature

• Richard Rorty – ‘The Historiography of Philosophy: Four Genres’. Philosophy in History, edited by Richard Rorty, Jerome Schneewind, and Quintin Skinner. Cambridge University Press, 1984, pp. 49-76.
• Karen Detlefsen and Lisa Shapiro ‘Introduction’ - The Routledge Handbook of Women and Early Modern European Philosophy, edited by Karen Detlefsen and Lisa Shapiro. Routledge, 2023, pp. 1-9.
• Eileen O’Neill – ‘Disappearing Ink’. Philosophy in a Feminist Voice: Critiques and Reconstructions, edited by Janet A. Kourany. Princeton 1997, pp. 17-62.
• Sarah Tyson – ‘Reclamation Strategies’. Where are the Women?. Columbia, 2018, pp. 1-52.