Lisa Guenther (; born 1971) is a Canadian

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

, known for her work on

solitary confinement Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...

, prison torture, reproductive injustice, and the

carceral state The concept of a carceral archipelago was first used by the French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault in his 1975 publication, '' Surveiller et Punir'', to describe the modern penal system of the 1970s, embodied by the well-known penal ins ...

Education and career

Guenther received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

from

Bishop's University Bishop's University () is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, Anglican Bishop of Quebec ...

and a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. Cross-appointed to the Department of Philosophy and the Graduate Program in Cultural Studies, Guenther is a Queen’s National Scholar in Political Philosophy and Critical Prison Studies at Queen's University in

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, Canada. Prior to 2018, she served as Associate Professor of Philosophy at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

. Her first academic position was at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

Research areas

Guenther specializes in

feminist philosophy Feminist philosophy is an approach to philosophy from a feminist perspective and also the employment of philosophical methods to feminist topics and questions. Feminist philosophy involves both reinterpreting philosophical texts and methods in ...

, critical phenomenology, and

political philosophy Political philosophy studies the theoretical and conceptual foundations of politics. It examines the nature, scope, and Political legitimacy, legitimacy of political institutions, such as State (polity), states. This field investigates different ...

. Her 2015 book, ''Solitary Confinement'', has been described by the ''Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'' as "a liberation manifesto in struggles against captivity".

Public philosophy

Guenther's work with inmates on death row in Riverbend maximum security prison in Nashville has received considerable media attention. In her interview with ''

The Boston Review ''Boston Review'' is an American quarterly political and literary magazine. It publishes political, social, and historical analysis, literary and cultural criticism, book reviews, fiction, and poetry, both online and in print. Its signature form ...

'' she describes her efforts as being grounded in a new understanding of what philosophy is: "I now approach philosophy as a radical democratic practice of collective sense-making." ''

The Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is an American newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals, including staff members and administrators. A subscription ...

'' in its profile of Guenther called her "radical advocate for prison reform."

Publications

As author

* *

As editor

References

External links

Lisa Guenther
at Queen's University {{DEFAULTSORT:Guenther, Lisa Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian women philosophers Scholars of feminist philosophy 21st-century Canadian philosophers Canadian political philosophers Bishop's University alumni University of Toronto alumni Vanderbilt University faculty Phenomenologists Prison reformers