That's great.
I am currently finishing my master's degree in philosophy, politics, and college education. In philosophy, one in every three students is a woman, and one in every four professors is a woman. You can count on one hand the number of female thinkers taught in prerequisite courses. That number is even more abysmal when you take into account visible minorities and non-western thought. Yes, thinking that is female and non-white is taught in universities, at least at a very minimum level. It is, however, presented only as optional material, as though white men were the only ones to have had thoughts that mattered, as though the thoughts of women and marginalized people concerned only feminists and minorities. That is how our university students are taught. That is how our language, knowledge, ideas, and approach to philosophy and social science are forged. That is how our societies, institutions, and policies are forged.
In light of that, we should ask ourselves this question. What makes these people and these ideas so threatening that they are marginalized to such a degree?
The upside of philosophy and social science is that they are also self-critical. A considerable amount of research today focuses on, what we call in the field, epistemic injustices. That was actually the thesis topic of one of the speakers who was here yesterday, Dawn Lavell-Harvard.
I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage the members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women to consult the work Canadian women have done on the subject. You will see that women and marginalized people are challenging the status quo. We are the Daughters of the Vote. In Canada, we are also the daughters of all the history, culture, and institutions of our colonial ancestors. We must acknowledge that, as brave as they were, our ancestors were, for the most part, racist and sexist, especially those who forged our knowledge, culture, and institutions. The legacy of that domination is still alive today. You need only look to the growing social and economic disparity that is widening the gap between men and women, whites and minorities, rural and urban communities, east and west, and so on.
So-called marginalized people are not seen as holders of knowledge in their own right, having to pass instead for informers. Their ideas must therefore pass through the sons of the true knowledge holders and power wielders like you. In order to justify their position, the real scholars opt for reassuring paths within mainstream thought, paths that are very rare within marginalized communities. I would've liked to share some examples with you, but I'm afraid I would run out of time.
It is therefore important to recognize our assets, our privileges, and our lack of knowledge so that the different ideas and points of view of so-called marginalized people can be heard, understood, and reconciled. That way, we can sort out the causes and effects to genuinely address the various forms of suffering that all of our brothers and sisters experience. In so doing, we can take more specific action to deal with the suffering where it arises and where its effects can be mitigated.
This is 2017. There is no point staring at our own shadow in the depths of Plato's cave. Let us be courageous enough to scale its porous façade together to face the cruel light of day. Progress is not just for everyone else. Progress is social, it tackles suffering, and it affects each and every one of us in our individual realities. The time has come for soul-searching and a societal revolution.
Thank you.