Oral History Archive Amira Matar

Professor Amira Matar, a writer and researcher, is one of the women pioneers of philosophy in Egypt. In the interview, she talked about her educational and career journey, starting with her school education at the College for Girls in Zamalek, then her university studies at the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University. Upon her graduation in 1953, she was appointed as a teaching staff member in the Philosophy Department, pursuing an academic career path until serving as the Head of the Department from 1975 and 1981. She is credited with introducing Political Philosophy and Aesthetics courses to the curriculum taught at the Department. She received the State Incentive Award in Social Sciences in 1985.

Amira Matar was born in Cairo, as the only sister to three brothers, into what she described as a conservative family. Her father, who served as an Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, was among the first Egyptian engineers to have studied Chemical Engineering in England. Her mother descended from Circassian aristocracy, and was a member of the influential Bakreya family in Cairo. Amira described her mother as a kind and tolerant person, who was affected by the British upbringing. The mother volunteered in some charitable organizations, such as Princess Ferial Mabarra Charity Foundation, and the Economic Liberalization Organization.

At that time, it was customary that families focused on preparing their daughters for marriage and the full-time household duties, which entailed offering their daughters the required school education, and the learning opportunity to master handicrafts and foreign languages. Amira did not care much for handicrafts, but enjoyed spending most of her time painting and reading. Besides poetry, she read the major works by Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti and Jurji Zaydan, as well as English and French literature. Her family enrolled her in the College for Girls in Zamalek, where girls received the necessary knowledge in languages, general culture, and arts to prepare them to become ‘socialites.’ That was why not much attention was given to sciences and mathematics. Although Arabic was the primary school language, the principal was a German national, who was succeeded by an Egyptian Principal, Ms. Karima al-Saeed. Amira Matar found a role model in the principal, and also in Amina al-Saeed, and Suhair al-Qalamawi.

Amira wanted to attend the Faculty of Law, but her family believed that studying for a university degree was socially unacceptable for women, and the school did not prepare girls for any college but the Faculty of Arts. While her father refused to enroll her in the Faculty of Law, she was adamant about earning a university degree, and joined the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University in 1942. She made her choice to study at the Philosophy Department, where she studied under a number of great professors including Zakie Naguib Mahmoud, Othman Amin, Mostafa Helmi, Fouad al-Ahwani, and Awad Mohamed, who was the Faculty Dean at the time.

Amira relished her university studies, and experienced a sense of freedom of movement and intellect. She participated in various trips, and engaged in the cultural activities organized by the University and the other departments at the Faculty of Arts, including the different sports committees, the classical music committee under the supervision of Professor Ezz al-Deen Farid, as well as the seminars, the journalistic activities, and the theater club at the English Department. Amira graduated top of her class in 1953, then earned a higher diploma in Political Sciences, before being appointed to teach at the Philosophy Department.

She specialized in ancient philosophy to fulfill the conditions for her employment, and so found herself drawn to studying the culture of ancient Greek civilization. She earned a master’s degree in 1956, under the supervision of Professor Fouad al-Ahwani, with a dissertation on the relationship between ancient and modern aesthetics. Amira wanted to study for her doctorate at a university abroad, but after the 1952 Revolution, all ties were severed between Egypt and England and France, and she was not proficient in any other foreign language but English and French. However, Amira saw that the Revolution had a huge impact on society, and gave great hope to young people. She herself felt that “numerous hopes and aspirations will come true with the Revolution.”

Although she could not travel on any study missions, fellowships, or scholarships, Amira insisted on traveling abroad at her own expense to collect research data for her studies. With Professor Fouad al-Ahwani as her supervisor once more, she earned her doctoral degree in platonic aesthetics. She also translated a number of philosophy books from English, French, and Greek into Arabic, and as she said “I could read the texts with a dictionary, and I translated some of Plato’s dialogues, I was interested in studying ancient Greek philosophy, political philosophy, and aesthetics. Philosophy for me has a wider definition, beyond the narrow disciplines or specializations.”

Amira was resolute about pursuing further studies, and building an academic career despite her family’s objections. As for her relationship with her family members, she recounted the gender discrimination she experienced, particularly with her family’s disregard for her success. As she put it, “they only cared about my brother’s achievements, and preferred that the boys would be the ones to accomplish the success, not me. They did not feel happy when I succeeded.” In the wider social circle, she was different from her acquaintances and the women in her community, who were keen on fulfilling their social duties, visiting extended family members and neighbors, and attending weddings and birthdays. Amira did not pay attention to these social formalities, which made them wonder, “why do you waste all your time on books?” In addition, whereas Amira was determined to secure a job for herself, her family looked down on women’s work, and perceived financial need as the sole reason for a woman to have a job.

Amira was introduced to her husband through family friends, after obtaining her master’s degree, and had a conventional marriage. Her husband worked in civil and road engineering, and as Amira described him was “broad-minded…and idolized work.” She never felt that her marriage had any negative effect on her work or studies. To the contrary, her husband supported her career and her decision to pursue further studies. After getting married, she completed her doctoral studies, and began a fruitful career as a university professor. Amira and her husband shared all the decisions concerning the household and the children. When her husband passed away in an accident, she was left with two young children: a son and a daughter. She ensured the equality between them in all matters, protecting them from the discrimination she endured in her childhood. She also added that she did not get the chance to enjoy her family life, particularly after the shock of her husband’s death, and with her devoted commitment to her children, and her preoccupation with daily life by herself, without help.

Amira Matar continued teaching at the Philosophy Department, Cairo University, until the year 1991, when she retired to become a Professor Emeritus, mentoring graduate students and supervising dissertations. Amira never worked outside Cairo University, and never quit since she arrived there for the first time as a student. As she put it, “I spent my entire life at Cairo University.” She treasured learning and working in education because they gave her a sense of self, and an independent existence in life, and she insisted on pursuing this path for knowledge to the end.

For Amira, studying philosophy had a great impact on her development, and instilled in her the values of tolerance, acceptance, and independent thinking. She explained, “I was in some state of rebellion against the inherited conceptions and traditions in society…philosophy taught me to take a more critical look at so many aspects in society, rather than to simply agree to the lots of things I did not accept.” Amira believed that she managed to fight for herself, for her rights, her independence, and her freedom to a great extent, and as much as she could possibly do. She challenged the social norms and conventions, and bore the consequences on her own. “Although I am now alone, and unable to fully adapt to society,” Amira Matar asserts, “it was necessary to have done what I did. That is what I learned from philosophy.”