Tamara Horowitz

Tamara Horowitz (November 7, 1950 – January 30, 2000) was an American philosopher who made significant contributions to epistemology, feminist philosophy, and the philosophy of science. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she displayed early academic promise, earning a BA from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1976, becoming the first woman to achieve this distinction at MIT. Her doctoral work was in linguistics and philosophy. During her mid-twenties, Horowitz engaged in a practice of not looking in mirrors for two years, which influenced her philosophical views on the self and appearance. Throughout her career, she held academic positions at several institutions, including Vassar College, New York University, and notably the University of Pittsburgh. At Pittsburgh, she was appointed chair of the philosophy department in September 1999, a position she held until her untimely death. Her research interests included a priori knowledge and feminist philosophy. Horowitz passed away on January 30, 2000, in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was married to philosopher Joseph Camp.