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College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Alison Bailey

University Professor
Philosophy
Office
RC Rachel Cooper 233
Office Hours
By appointment
Office Phone
(309) 438-2947office
phone
Email
baileya@ilstu.eduemail
Website
philosophy.illinoisstate.edu/facult... website
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Biography

Alison Bailey is a Professor of Philosophy at Illinois State University where she directs the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.

Current Courses

490Feminist Theories & Methodological Issues

Teaching Interests & Areas

Feminist Philosophy and Theory, Philosophy of Race, Reproductive Justice, Epistemologies of Ignorance.

Research Interests & Areas

Dr. Bailey’s scholarship engages issues at the intersections of feminist theories, philosophy of race, critical whiteness studies, and social epistemology (especially epistemic injustice and ignorance). She gave the spring College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lecture in 2020. Her recent work on anger and epistemic injustice appears in the Royal Institute of Philosophy’s supplemental volume on “The Harms and Wrongs of Epistemic Practice,” and in The Logic of Racial Practice: Embodiment, Habitus, and Implicit Bias. She co-edited The Feminist Philosophy Reader (2007) with Chris J. Cuomo. Her forthcoming book, The Weight of Whiteness: Feminist Engagements with Privilege, Race, and Ignorance (Lexington Books, 2020) is framed as a series of invitations to wade slowly and mindfully into the inherited weight of whiteness and to hold space with the ways that white supremacy works to anesthetize white people from the damage it does to our collective humanity.

Ph D

University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

MA Philosophy

Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO

BA Philosophy and Art

Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA

University Professor

Illinois State University
2023

Book, Authored

Bailey, A. The Weight of Whiteness: Feminist Engagements with Privilege, Race, and Ignorance. Lexington Books (2021)

Book, Chapter

Bailey, A. "Race and the Naming of Whiteness: Alison Bailey". George Yancy (EDs), On Race: Thirty-Four Conversations in a Time of Crisis. Oxford University Press (2017): 61-71.
Bailey, A. 'White Talk' as a Barrier to Understanding The Problem of Whiteness. George Yancy (EDs), White Self-Criticality Beyond Anti-Racism: What Is It Like to Be a White Problem?. Lexington Books (2015): 37-57.
Bailey, A. Strategic Ignorance. Nancy Tuana and Shannon Sullivan (EDs), Race and Epistemologies of Ignorance. SUNY Press (2007): 77-94.

Journal Article

Bailey, A. Gaslighting and Epistemic Harm: Editor's Introduction. Hypatia 35.4 (2020): 667-673.
Bailey, A. On Anger, Silence, and Epistemic Injustice. The Harms and Wrongs of Epistemic Practice. Philosophy Supplemental.84 (2018): 93-115.
Bailey, A. Navigating Privilege-Preserving Epistemic Pushback in Feminist and Critical Race Philosophy Classes. Hypatia 32.4 (2017): 876-892.
Bailey, A. "The Unlevel Knowing Field: An Engagement with Dotson's Third-Order Epistemic Oppression. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 3.10 (2014): 472-483.
Bailey, A. "On White Shame and Vulnerability". South African Journal of Philosophy 30.3 (2011): 472-483.

Textbook, New

Bailey, A., & Cuomo, C. The Feminist Philosophy Reader. Alison Bailey and Chris J. Cuomo (EDs). McGraw-Hill (2008)

Presentations

Her Anger Becomes Her: What Anger Taught Me about Injustice. College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lecturer. Illinois State University. (2019)
On Anger, Silence and Epistemic Injustice. The Diversity Question in Feminist Philosophy of Science. Cal State. (2019)
On Silence and Testimonial Injustice. Scott and Heather Kleier Colloquium Series. University Of Georgia Department Of Philosophy. (2019)
How Might We Respond to the Weaponization of Critical Thinking and Skepticism?” Panel on “Inclusivity in the Teaching and Practice of Philosophy,” American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division Meetings, Savannah, Georgia, 4 January 2018.
White Talk, Ignorance and Social Justice. Center for Human Rights and Social Justice. Illinois Wesleyan University. (2017)
On Anger and Testimonial Injustice.” Harms and Wrongs in Epistemic Practice, Royal Institute of Philosophy, University of Sheffield, England, 3-4 July.
“Tone Policing and the Anger-Silencing Spiral,” Gaslighting and Epistemic Injustice Conference, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California, 21-23 September.  
Anger and Epistemic Injustice. Feminist Epistemologies, Methodologies, Metaphysics and Science Studies. Notre Dame University. (2016)
"What's Wrong with White Talk?". Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series. New Voices on Racial Justice Series. (2016)
“Angry Pluralist Selves,” Panel on the Work of María Lugones, American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meetings, Chicago, IL. 3 March 2013