Gender Bias in Philosophy: From Early Education to Academia

Abstract

This paper examines gender bias in philosophy across academic and educational contexts, focusing on how direct and indirect biases contribute to the underrepresentation of women in academic philosophy and how such biases may develop and be reinforced through education. Drawing particularly on research concerning implicit bias, stereotype threat, participation, and perceptions of intellectual ability, the paper connects inequalities in academic philosophy with gendered experiences in earlier educational settings. It considers Philosophy for Children (P4C), increased transparency in teaching, and greater awareness of student and teacher biases as possible approaches to fostering more inclusive philosophy education. Originally submitted as a term paper in the module Fachdidaktik Ethik/Philosophie at Freie Universität Berlin in 2024 and assessed with the grade 1.0 (sehr gut). This 2026 repository version contains minor editorial and bibliographic revisions.