Katy Fulfer

Philosophy in the world

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Political Activism as Work 

Black women’s unpaid political activism deserves acknowledgement. Economist Nina Banks argues that their community work should count as a form of work. And she means “count” literally!   Community activism as work  Feminist economists have highlighted how neoclassical economics wrongfully excluded domestic work, primarily done by women, as productive work that contributes to the economy. Likewise, Banks argues that both mainstream and feminist economists have missed how the community is a site … [Read more...]

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What’s in a tweet?

There’s something almost poetic about a tweet. Consider what Audre Lorde had to say about poetry: “Of all the art forms, poetry is the most economical. It is the one which is the most secret, which requires the least physical labor, the least material, and the one which can be done between shifts, in the hospital pantry, on the subway, and on scraps of surplus paper … poetry has been the major voice of poor, working class, and Colored women. A room of one's own may be a necessity for writing … [Read more...]

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Caring for the world and caring for community 

Amor mundi, or “love of the world,” was the title Arendt wanted for The Human Condition. In an August 6, 1955 letter to Karl Jaspers, her teacher and friend, she said: I’ve begun so late, really only in recent years, to truly love the world that I shall be able to do that now. Out of gratitude, I want to call my book on political theory ‘Amor Mundi.’ As Samantha Rose Hill notes:  Within this statement there is a recognition and reckoning with the events of the past. What does it mean to … [Read more...]

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A new year, a new phase

Happy new year, readers! I hope that the winter break (if you had one) was restorative for you and that you are ready to tackle a new Gregorian calendar year. I didn’t think that I would be ready in time - yet, here I am! But what am I talking about? I think I’m getting ahead of myself, so let me start a bit further back.  Pandemic phase one  I'm not referring to Ontario’s phased re-opening scheme or the first global wave of COVID-19. No, this is something a bit more personal. By phase one, I … [Read more...]

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On Gifts

I admit it: I love Christmas. Despite being a horrible crafter, I make holiday cards for family and friends. (See the feature image for proof.) I also have a stack of books I read during the holidays, including Connie Willis’ story collection A Lot Like Christmas and Christmas with Anne, which contains holiday-themed excerpts from L.M. Montgomery’s work. Many of the stories bear a message we oft hear at this time of year: It is the action of giving that is significant rather … [Read more...]