Dr Alison Ainley

Alison is Head of our Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her current research concerns philosophical questions about embodiment, particularly in the work of Simone de Beauvoir.

alison.ainley@anglia.ac.uk

Background

Alison became Head of Humanities and Social Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University in 2005. Before this she was a lecturer in philosophy at Anglia Ruskin, appointed in 1990. She also spent two years teaching at University College Dublin, from 1991-92. Alison teaches on our undergraduate philosophy degree, including modules on the Philosophy of Art and Western Civilisation, and also supervises research students in philosophy.

Areas of research supervision

• Phenomenology 
• Feminist philosophy
• Philosophical issues in psychoanalysis 
• Contemporary European philosophy
• Areas previously supervised to successful completion include Heidegger and sexual difference; Heidegger and Edith Stein; Merleau-Ponty and Derrida on language; politics in Byzantium and Plato and mathematics. Current PhD students are researching topics including questions of human rights.

Qualifications

• PhD in Philosophy; 'Ethics and Embodiment’, University of Warwick, 1993

• MA in Philosophy and Literature ‘Mallarmé and Literary Theory’, University of Warwick, 1986

• BA (Hons) Philosophy and Literature, 1st Class, University of Warwick, 1985

Memberships, editorial boards

• Society for Women in Philosophy
• Mind, Aristoteles and Society
• British Society for Phenomenology
• British Philosophical Association

Selected recent publications

Ainley, A., 2001. 'Imagination and the Maternal; Kant and Levinas' in Tina Chanter (Ed.). Re-Reading the Cannon: Feminist Interpretations of Levinas. USA: Pennsylvania State Press.

‘Provoking thought’ (2003). Philosopher’s Magazine, issue 22 February.

‘What’s it all about?’ (2003). Philosopher’s Magazine, issue 23 May.

‘Grounds for Optimism’ (2004). New Humanist, November-December.

‘The mighty fork (Kierkegaard)’ (2005). Philosopher’s Magazine, July.

‘Kristeva, subjectivity and culture’ (2009). Hypatia, 24(1).

Recent presentations and conferences

Alison organised a conference to celebrate 40 years of philosophy at Anglia Ruskin University on 11 November 2013, bringing together both current and former staff and students.