Adding names, stirring history

onomastic strategies for the recovery of 19th-century women philosophers in Mexico

Abstract

In this paper, I argue for the inclusion of women's names in the history of philosophy, emphasizing naming as a crucial step in recovering and acknowledging the contributions of historically marginalized women philosophers. Drawing on Sarah Hutton's ‘add and stir’ strategy, I suggest that the simple act of naming women philosophers is essential for their recovery, even when their works have been lost or forgotten. I introduce the concept of ‘antionomastics’ to study the deliberate erasure of names, contrasting it with a ‘philosophical onomastics’, which focuses on recovering and preserving these names.Using this framework, I examine the omission of women philosophers in Mexican history of philosophy, arguing that recognizing and preserving women's names is not only an act of recovery but also a necessary precursor to their inclusion in historical narratives. Through a case study on Laureana Wright, a XIX century Mexican feminist, thinker, and journalist, I show the importance of biographical records in philosophical onomastics. Wright’s biographical work on remarkable Mexican women, along with her own biography and essays, exemplifies how this strategy can be effectively applied in the Mexican context to ensure the visibility and acknowledgment of women’s contributions to philosophy.