Presenter:
Recently, I uncovered evidence of a close philosophical friendship between Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976), one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, and Margaret MacDonald (1907-1956), whose promising philosophical career was cut short by her untimely death. I will tell a minor detective story explaining this discovery, and discuss its significance for understanding the work of both Ryle and MacDonald, and the neglected place of women in the history of twentieth-century analytic philosophy.