The fact that especially few women survive in a subject that attracts roughly equal numbers of male and female undergraduates suggests that, while bothsexes are equally drawn to philosophy, there is something about the discipline that is discouraging to women.

“We know that the children who have been through sustained Philosophy with Children improve in almost every other academic area. Philosophers aretraditionally asked awkward questions and to come up with alternative answers, and it really breeds independent thinking. If we want a generation of people who will begin to tackle and solve the problems we have, we need people who think for themselves and who think differently.”.

The fact that especially few women survive in a subject that attracts roughly equal numbers of male and female undergraduates suggests that, while bothsexes are equally drawn to philosophy, there is something about the discipline that is discouraging to women.