A new year at St. Olaf brings new clubs, activities, and projects. Along with long-standing organizations, a few new clubs are launching this fall. One of them is Philosophia, a philosophy club aimed at empowering women interested in the field.
The club currently has two executive board members: Erin Burns ’27 and Katherine Stoneman ’27, who are both double majors in quantitative economics and philosophy. Stoneman, the club’s founder, serves as president, while Burns is treasurer.
“We want a space to empower women interested in the field of philosophy,” Burns said in an interview with the Olaf Messenger.
“Many of the prominent philosophers we study are male, and philosophy is a male-dominated field, so I wanted to highlight women in philosophy and give them a space to share experiences, build connections and discuss topics surrounding women in philosophy,” Stoneman said.
According to Stoneman, meetings will be mostly discussion-based, but future meetings may feature guest speakers or conversations focused on specific philosophies and works. Philosophia also plans to host events during Pizza Thursday talks and in spaces such as Steensland Hall.
“While the meetings focus on women in philosophy, the club is open to everyone,” Stoneman said.
When asked about their favorite philosophers, Stoneman named Simone de Beauvoir, Kierkegaard and Aristotle. Burns listed Plato, Kierkegaard and St. Augustine of Hippo.
Philosophia aims to provide a new community for students interested in philosophy. The club’s first meeting is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. in Holland 429.
Editor’s Note: Katherine Stoneman serves as Sports Writer for the Olaf Messenger.