Ruth Hagengruber is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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 ...

, currently professor and head of philosophy at the

University of Paderborn Paderborn University () is a public research university in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in 1972 and 20,308 students were enrolled at the university in the winter semester 2016/2017 in 62 different degree programmes. ...

. She specialises in the history of

women philosophers A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

as well as

philosophy of economics Philosophy and economics studies topics such as public economics, behavioural economics, rationality, justice, history of economic thought, rational choice, the appraisal of economic outcomes, institutions and processes, the status of highly id ...

and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

and is a specialist on

Émilie Du Châtelet Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise du Châtelet (; 17 December 1706 – 10 September 1749) was a French mathematician and physicist. Her most recognized achievement is her philosophical magnum opus, ''Institutions de Physique'' ...

. Hagengruber is the director of the

Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists The Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists (HWPS) is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Paderborn, focused on the work of historical women philosophers and scientists. The Center is responsible for the ...

and founder of the research area EcoTechGender. She invented the Libori Summer School and is the creator of the Encyclopedia of Concise Concepts by Women Philosophers, for which she holds the position of editor in chief together with Mary Ellen Waithe. In 2025, she was elected President of th
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Philosophie
Hagengruber’s research is dedicated to the revision of a patriarchal history, specially to the rediscovery of women’s alternative contributions to the

history of philosophy The history of philosophy is the systematic study of the development of philosophical thought. It focuses on philosophy as rational inquiry based on argumentation, but some theorists also include myth, religious traditions, and proverbial lor ...

and the

history of economics The history of economic thought is the study of the philosophies of the different thinkers and theories in the subjects that later became political economy and economics, from the ancient world to the present day. This field encompasses many d ...

, focusing on circle and universality based economics as an approach of inclusive economic ethics. She published on

value theory Value theory, also called ''axiology'', studies the nature, sources, and types of Value (ethics and social sciences), values. It is a branch of philosophy and an interdisciplinary field closely associated with social sciences such as economics, ...

Feminist Economics Feminist economics is the critical study of economics and economies, with a focus on gender-aware and inclusive economic inquiry and policy analysis. Feminist economic researchers include academics, activists, policy theorists, and practitio ...

and reflects on technical design from a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

(and inclusive) point of view, such as autonomous driving, a different approach to labour, and a profound acknowledgment of creative skills.

Career

Hagengruber was born in

Regen Regen (; Northern Bavarian: ''Reng'') is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the district town of the district of Regen. Geography Regen is situated on the great Regen River, located in the Bavarian Forest. Divisions Originally the town consiste ...

. She earned her PhD in philosophy from

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

and taught at the philosophy department at the University of Koblenz and Landau and the

University of Cologne The University of Cologne () is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in 1388. It closed in 1798 before being re-established in 1919. It is now one of the largest universities in Germany with around 45,187 students. The Universit ...

before coming to

Paderborn University Paderborn University () is a public research university in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in 1972 and 20,308 students were enrolled at the university in the winter semester 2016/2017 in 62 different degree programmes. ...

to be professor and head of philosophy. In April 2012, the first Master Erasmus Joint Programme dedicated to the Study of the History of Women Philosophers was established in cooperation between Paderborn University and

Yeditepe University Yeditepe University () is a private non-profit university situated in Istanbul, Turkey. Established by the Istanbul Education and Culture Foundation ('', İSTEK Vakfı'') in 1996, Yeditepe University now claims to be the largest of the 74 priva ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Academic activities and awards

Hagengruber was vice president of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Französischsprachige Philosophie (1997-2002) and the European Society for Early Modern Philosophy ESEMP (2004–2007). She was also a member of the Advisory Board of the Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS) at the

Technische Universität München The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences. Established in 1868 by King Ludwig II ...

(2011-2019). In 2019, Hagengruber became vice president of the Deutsche Akademikerinnenbund DAB and was elected member of the Leibniz Sozietät der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. Hagengruber is an honorary member of the International Association for Computing and Philosophy (IACAP) and a board member of the International Association of Women Philosophers (IAPH) and organizer of the IAPH conference ''Defining the Future, Rethinking the Past''. Furthermore, she directs the research and work group Frauen in der Geschichte der Philosophie (Women in History of Philosophy) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Philosophie. In 2016 she founded the Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists.

Teaching and research areas

History of Women Philosophers and Scientists

The Teaching and Research Area "History of Women Philosophers" headed by Hagengruber aims at renewing the long-lasting tradition of women philosophers. Ruth Hagengruber started her lecture "2600 Years History of Women Philosophers" in 2011. In 2016, she founded the research project Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists. In this capacity, she awards the Elisabeth of Bohemia Prize for the recognition of women in the history of philosophy since 2018 and published the first digital and historical-critical edition of Émilie du Châtelets St Petersburg Manuscripts. Hagengruber has edited various books on the history of women philosophers. In 2015, she edited the special issue of

The Monist ''The Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was established in October 1890 by American publisher Edward C. Hegeler. History Init ...

on the "History of Women's Ideas" together with Karen Green. She created the German book series ''Frauen in Philosophie und Wissenschaft'' and the international book series Women in the History of Philosophy and Sciences with Mary Ellen Waithe and Gianni Paganini. In 2019, she edited a special issue of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy on "Women Philosophers in Early Modern Philosophy" with Sarah Hutton.

EcoTechGender

In 2006, Hagengruber founded the Teaching and Research Area: EcoTechGenderEcoTechGender
paderborn.de. on the social and ethical implications of

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

References

External links

*
Who-is-Who at the University Paderborn, Page 30

Professors at the University of Paderborn, Portrait

Lecture Liberlaism Gummersbach 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagengruber, Ruth Living people German women philosophers 20th-century German philosophers Academic staff of Paderborn University Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni 1958 births Academic staff of the University of Koblenz and Landau 21st-century German philosophers People from Regen (district)