Professor Sandrine Bèrges awarded one of eight “Global Professorships” by The British Academy

Her project “Finding Diversity in Enlightenment Philosophy’s Attitude to Abolitionism” aims to bring to light the way in which women, Black individuals and members of dissenting religious sects participated in the intellectual effort of late enlightenment abolitionism. These authors rarely feature in discussions of abolitionist movements of that period, even though some were prominently involved in the movement.

The benefits of an intersectional approach to feminism and anti-racism are well documented now. The abolitionist movements of the 18th century were male and female, Black and white, and had a variety of religious views. It is important to understand the extent to which agents who were not white males made a difference. Philosophical historians of the relevant period have greatly contributed to the erasure of those agents, and research is needed to bring them back in order to provide a more diverse and a more accurate history of this important philosophical moment.

Professor Bèrges is the only philosophy professor among the awardees.