Philosophers beyond borders
Philosophers beyond borders celebrates an array of philosophers hailing from Africa and the African diaspora, South America, South Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond. The diverse collection spans the ages, including philosophers such as Anton Wilhelm Amo, W.E.B. Du Bois and Frantz Fanon, as well as those alive and still teaching: Gayatri Spivak, bell hooks and Achille Mbembe, to name just a few. Succinct biographies are accompanied by characterful black and white portraits of each individual philosopher. The biographies contain thought-provoking quotations and direct the reader to the philosophers' selected works.
This book was born of a desire for greater representation from non-European thinkers, and aims to contribute to a broader, more balanced view of philosophy and philosophers within colleges, universities and further afield.
What the makers, Saskia Pfaeltzer (visual artist) and Maria van Enckevort (educator and historian), say: 'The thirty philosophers are presented neither alphabetically nor chronologically; at an early stage it became clear that a web of connections exists between the various philosophers. We only had to follow the lead. Like them, "Have the courage to think for yourself".'
Read and see the book. If you wish to buy the book, see the bottom of this page.
Praise for the book:
Adriaan van Dis (writer): 'An inspiring introduction that makes your world bigger and frees you from the stuffy western – and sometimes overly white – thinking. Useful and necessary brain gymnastics, especially now that more and more countries tend to turn inward and embrace the myth of "our own people first". An eyeopener!'
Margriet Schavemaker (Director Amsterdam Museum, the Netherlands): 'With so much joy I looked at the large variety of very artistically and detailed portraits of the philosophers accompienied by these crisp chosen quotes. What a joy and enrichment for everybody’s library, even if you never encountered a book of any thinker.'
This book has appeared as an ASC Occasional Publication: issue 40.
About the author(s) / editor(s)
Saskia Pfaeltzer is a visual artist who studied at the Rijksakademie of Arts in Amsterdam from 1973-1980. Although a skilled painter, Saskia's main focus has been sculpture. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and her work adorns Amsterdam's public spaces, as well as renowned galleries, museums and conservatories in Holland, Belgium, France, The Antilles, Germany and China.
After obtaining her MA in Medieval History - with a minor in Philosophy and Theology - Maria van Enckevort sailed to the Caribbean where she has lived since (except for a three-year stay in Belgium, while teaching philosophy in Tilburg, The Netherlands). Two weeks after arriving on St. Martin, Van Enckevort found herself in front of a classroom teaching history from a Eurocentric perspective. Later, a PhD in Caribbean History from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, followed.
How to order
Buy this book in our webshop (€ 10,00).
Posted on 17 November 2020, last modified on 4 January 2021