books

Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2018)

This book investigates the Ancient Stoic thinkers’ views on gender and sexuality. A detailed scrutiny of metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy reveals that the Stoic philosophers held an exceptionally equal view of men and women’s rational capacities.  In its own time, Stoicism was frequently called ‘ the manly school’ of philosophy, but this volume shows that the Stoics would have also transformed many traditional notions of masculinity. Malin Grahn-Wilder compares the earlier philosophies of Plato and Aristotle to show that the Stoic position often stands out within Ancient philosophy as an exceptionally bold defense of women’s possibilities to achieve the highest form of wisdom and happiness. The work argues that the Stoic metaphysical notion of human being is based on strikingly egalitarian premises, and opens new perspectives to Stoic philosophy on the whole.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-53694-1

Reviews and appraisal:

”Malin Grahn-Wilder’s Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy is an excellent book that provides an even better reason to teach the ancient Stoics. Grahn-Wilder has provided a comprehensive, detailed, and clear overview of Stoic views of the body, eros, and sexuality. (…) Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy is a detailed and well- organized resource for researchers; it’s a clear and concise introduction to ancient Stoicism’s major texts; and it’s a fecund and thought-provoking addition to contemporary conversations.” (Professor David O’Hara, Hypatia Reviews Online, 2021).

 “Malin Grahn-Wilder’s Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy brings together Stoic ideas on gender and sexuality in biology and metaphysics, and relates them brilliantly to their positions on living well and on personal self-presentation. In the course of this we find fresh thoughts about a wide range of Stoic topics such as erotic love, the sage, education and cosmopolitanism. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Stoicism and ancient philosophy, as well as feminism and gender studies.” (Julia Annas, University of Arizona, USA)

“One of Grahn-Wilder’s accomplishments is to follow her chosen thematic not only through various central areas of philosophy, but also within Stoic understanding of the every-day life and human existence, approaching even those with a philosophical mind. She weaves a rich, connected whole from sources both generally recognized as significant, as well as those from the surface more marginal.” (Pauliina Remes, Uppsala University, Sweden)

 Skeptisismi – Epäilyn ja etsimisen filosofia, Malin Grahn-Wilder (ed.), Gaudeamus, Helsinki, 2016. (Skepticism – Philosophy of Doubt and Search)

This is a Finnish language collection of scholarly articles and translations of original texts from the skeptic philosophical tradition, such as Sextus Empiricus and David Hume. It includes my chapters “Onnellisuus vailla uskomuksia – Antiikin skeptisismi tunneterapiana” (Happiness Without Beliefs – Ancient Skepticism as Therapy of Emotions) and ”Johdanto: Alkutaival epäilevän filosofian historiaan” (Introduction: Entering the History of Skeptic Philosophy). Read more here.

Reviews (in Finnish):

”Skeptisismiä voidaan vailla epäilyn häivääkään suositella kenelle tahansa filosofian historiasta ja historiallisesti sofistikoituneesta nykyfilosofiasta kiinnostuneelle. Se on täynnä syvällistä tietoa ja henkevää epäilyä, ennen kaikkea tietoa siitä, miten tietoväitteiden epäiltävyyden haasteisiin on vuosisatojen kuluessa suhtauduttu. Se on epäilemättä painavimpia viime vuosina Suomessa julkaistuja filosofisia teoksia. ” (Prof. Sami Pihlström, Tieteessä tapahtuu 1/2017)

”Skeptisismi – Epäilyn ja etsimisen filosofia on hieno kirja.” (Jyrki Alenius, Suomen Kuvalehti 2/2017)

”Tilausta tällaiselle teokselle on ollut jo pitkään ja antologian kääntäjät ja kirjoittajat Grahn-Wilderin johdolla ovatkin tehneet varsinaisen kulttuuriteon.” (Jan Forsman, Tietoa etsimässä, niin&näin 2/2017)

“Skeptisismi-kirja tulee tarpeeseen.” (Juhani Kahelin, Tiedetoimittaja)