Sally Scholz: March 2013

Sally J. Scholz is Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, where she won the prestigious Lindback Award for Teaching Excellence in 2006. She works in social and political philosophy and feminist theory. Scholz’s early work focused on violence against women, oppression, and peacemaking. Prior to moving to Villanova, she worked as a legal advocate for victims of domestic violence in Indiana. This work led her to explore issues in the ethics of advocacy and, later, expanded to violence against women in conflict situations. She co-edited Peacemaking: Lessons from the Past, Vision for the Future with Judith Presler (Rodopi 2000) and has published numerous essays on war rape and just war theory. Her first two single-author books, On de Beauvoir (Wadsworth 2000) and On Rousseau (Wadsworth 2001), are short, accessible introductions to two very influential thinkers. She has subsequently explored Beauvoir’s own appreciation of Rousseau’s work with a number of essays. Additional work on Beauvoir led to the co-editing of The Contradictions of Freedom: Philosophical Essays on Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘Les Mandarins’ with Shannon Mussett (SUNY 2005).

Her recent research emerges out of these various strains and focuses on solidarity. In 2008 she published an extensive study of the moral relations of solidarity that could not help but be influenced by Rousseau and Beauvoir. This book, Political Solidarity (Penn State Press), offers a comprehensive theory of collective movements for social change. Political solidarity is unique among forms of solidarity; an individual’s moral commitment precedes the collective engagement of solidarity. Scholz continues this interest in solidarity with research on global and transnational feminist accounts of solidarity. A small part of that may be seen in the Feminism: A Beginner’s Guide (One World 2010).

Scholz is a former editor of the APA Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy (July 2003-June 2008), former co-editor of the Journal for Peace and Justice Studies (August 2006-2011), and recently guest edited a Special Issue of Hypatia on Crossing Borders (Vol. 28.2). She currently serves on the APA Board as Chair of the Committee on Lectures, Publications, and Research. She is also Vice President of the North American Society for Social Philosophy. In July 2013, Shelley Wilcox and Sally Scholz will become the new editorial team for Hypatia. Wilcox will serve as Book Review Editor at San Francisco State University. Scholz will serve as the Editor and will welcome the Editorial Offices to Villanova University.