Interview: Katarina Majerhold
"I think this is an example of respect, despite differences in opinions and lifestyles."
A conversation with philosopher, poet, editor, and translator Katarina Majerhold, MA.
1.   You are an editor, philosopher, poet, scientist, artist, and translator. You approach everything with precision and analytical thinking. How do you tackle so many projects?
I don't know if I am precise per se, but I am responsible and therefore precise when it comes to texts and authors, and I have always been analytical. I like things to be considered from as many angles as possible, which is also why I deal with such diverse mattersâto gather knowledge and perspectives from different fields and in different ways, sometimes as an editor, sometimes as a philosopher, and sometimes as a translator; artist, and poet only sporadically, when I get inspired, which is once every few years.
I approach each project responsibly and know why I chose it or what attracted me to it, but it is always related to learning new things or deepening my knowledge of things I already know.
2.   You are very good at connecting scientific texts with practice. Supporting theory with various examples demonstrates your open and in-depth approach to science. Who inspired you to study philosophy, and how do you approach writing scientific texts?
If I hadn't gone to study philosophy, which was suggested to me by an acquaintance I spent a short time with in my youth, who said it was the right study for me because I am so thoughtful and profound, I would have considered studying biology or geography.
Philosophy has compelling arguments and its ideas are still relevant today, so even during my postgraduate studies I was looking for ways to apply it in everyday life, specifically in the field of helping people. That is how I discovered philosophical counseling, which is, if we can call it that, an alternative to psychotherapy, but nevertheless quite different, as it is based on critical thinking and Socratic dialogue.
When I start writing a philosophical text or essay, I always want someone who reads my text to say or think that it is thoughtful, relevant, sincere, and that they can trust me (that there are no hidden, status-seeking, flattering, or manipulative motives behind it, which we often see today).
3. You are criticalâjustifiably soâof well-known, established philosophical names. What puts you off about them?
What bothered me about philosophers was that everything was too abstract and not connected enough to concrete experiences. And because I was dealing with the philosophy of love, emotions, and sexuality, and philosophers have written little about this, except for a few things in Plato, Aristotle, and Rousseau, and a little in Schopenhauer and Kierkegaard (who did not interest me), I was almost ready to abandon philosophy until, during my doctoral studies, I became acquainted with the philosophy of today's greatest living philosopher, Martha C. Nussbaum, who became famous for her article on the lovebetween Alcibiades and Socrates, and went on to write several important philosophical books on emotions.
When it comes to the philosophy of love, what puts me off most about well-known philosophers is either their overly abstract approach to love (Platonism) or their overly pragmatic (procreative) approach to love (Aristotle, Rousseau).
4.   How did women make their way into the field of philosophy?
For the purpose of answering this question, I looked through the undergraduate and graduate courses offered by the department of Philosophy at the University of Ljubljana, but I did not find a course called "feminist philosophy."
I also asked a doctoral student at the department of Philosophy how much they deal with female philosophers today: "Our reading of these topics was scattered and quite dependent on professor's own interests; we read Beauvoir, Donna Haraway, Woolstonecraft, and then it slowly ends. Eva Dolar Bahovec also deals with the topic a lot... but she has a very specific idea of feminism that is largely based on Freud/Lacan."
This means that not much has changed since I was a student. During my studies (from 1992 to 1996 and later during my master's and doctoral studies until 2003), female philosophers such as de Beauvoir, Irigary, Kristeva, Young, and Nussbaum were never specifically mentioned (perhaps here and there, but not in a way that would allow us to study them properly). We studied these female philosophers ourselves and thus paved the way for female philosophers.
Philosophy is still predominantly a male discipline today, and this is reflected in the study of female philosophers in philosophy departments.
5.   What is the difference between the Slovenian scientific method and that used abroad?
For a period (from 2009 to 2017), I collaborated extensively with American philosophers and professors, with only one female philosopher and professor, and I must say that it was exhausting. And not only when I was writing an article (History of Love) for the American Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, but also when it came to other articles for magazines and books. There, they really delve into your arguments, the weight of your arguments, and their accuracy.
It was more pleasant to work with others, such as Brazilians, Turks, Canadians, Serbs, etc., because they were not, so to speak, "burdened."
6.   You recently translated Martha C. Naussbaum (Slovenska matica, 2025), an exceptional translation of Anger and Forgiveness. Firstly, what is the message of this work, and secondly, is forgiveness beneficial?
It is no coincidence that I was the first in Slovenia to translate her book, which is the first translation of any of her works into Slovenian, as I wrote about her philosophy more than two decades ago, interviewed her, agreed that she would write a special foreword to the Slovenian translation of Anger and Forgiveness, and this year we have agreed to do an interview about her latest book, The Republic of Love: Opera and Political Freedom (2026).
As for the content of the translated book: unlike Upheavals of Thought (a theory of emotions), this book argues that anger is always bad (on the one hand because of the retaliation or vindictiveness of anger and the humiliation of status that anger evokes, on the other hand),except in the case of transitional anger, which is directed towards improving the situation in the future, while in Upheavals of Thought, she still argues that anger can be good, as it allows us to recognize that someone has wronged us and therefore gives us the drive and energy to fight for justice.
Regarding forgiveness, Nussbaum argues that true forgiveness is associated with unconditional love that sincerely forgives. At the same time, she acknowledges that in religion, which often mentions forgiveness, there is a lot of conditioning, calculation, and charging for forgiveness. Is forgiveness beneficial? If it is sincere, then yes, because the person who forgives is relieved of the unjust, difficult things that happened to them, but this does not mean that the person who wronged them is absolved of their offenseâit must still be acknowledged and accepted that what happened to them was not right.
7.   You inspire and encourage others very well. Your "concepts of love," if I may refer to your monograph of the same name, are to respect and value others, regardless of their worldview?
Thank youâit's nice that you see and experience me that way, and that is also my intention.
Dealing with love is not just about understanding what love is, but above all about putting love into practice on different levels (even though I've been single for 17 years, lol, you can love animals and pets, plants, minerals, nature, and people in general). It's your long-term actions that count; they show who you are, what your values are, and your worldview.
Speaking of respecting others regardless of their worldview (even though I haven't often experienced this in my own life) â I recently edited a substantial book in which the author states that, among other things, transhumanists, LGBT non-governmental organizations, extreme feminists, identity politics, and the principle of inclusion and diversity are the lowest of the low. As a feminist, transhumanist, and lesbian who once worked for the LGBT NGO Legibitra and strives for greater inclusion and diversity, I was hurt by the author's views, but I still did my job professionally. I think this is an example of respect, despite differences in opinions and lifestyles.
8.   You are very active as an editor at the Journal for the Critique of Science. How do you choose the topics for each issue?
I was the editor-in-chief of ÄKZ from 2023 to 2025 (then I resigned for medical reasons), but I had been a section editor and member of the editorial board since 1998 and had produced many themed issues. From 2008 to 2012, I was also the editor-in-chief of AndragoĆĄka spoznanja (Andragogical Perspectives).
You ask how I choose the topics for the thematic issues? Some topics interest me personally, while others are suggested to me by colleagues.
9.           You are one of the first to start writing erotic lesbian poetry in our country. What was it like to participate in literary competitions, for example?
Lol, I didn't know I was one of the pioneers of erotic lesbian poetry in Slovenia, and I don't know if any of the so-called older generation of lesbian poetry in Slovenia would agree with that.
I started writing about sexuality because I fell in love with my female partner at the time and wanted to understand where love comes from, including homosexual love. From the very beginning of my exploration of love, I understood that sexuality is an important aspect of love, so I wrote about the eroticism between me and my partner at the time. It wasn't about something general or eroticism between women in general, but about specific experiences.
It was cool to participate in these kinds of contests, and I even made it to the shortlist in one of them.
It was cool to take part in these kinds of contests, and I even made it to the shortlist in one of them.
But overall, I'd like to be more recognized in all areas of my work. I feel like my work is often overlooked and underappreciated.
10.   What does poetry that confronts the real circumstances of life mean to you?
With this question, you are probably referring to my latest poetry, published in magazine Sodobnost (2025), in which I describe my condition after breast cancer treatment in a very realistic way. In this case, it was about relieving certain conditions I experienced due to viral and/or bacterial infections. But now they are finally gone.
11.   What can we expect in your upcoming poetry debut?
Poetry that confronts the real-life circumstances of cancer treatment and everything that goes with it (the kindness of nurses, chemotherapy, hair loss, punctures, CT scans, surgeries, radiation, and in between, some thoughts about the absence of love, thoughts about life, etc.). Nothing special, I would say, just a description of the harrowing life experiences that I try to lighten up occasionally with humor. I'm not a very humorous person, but at that time I was able to appreciate humor and even muster some myself.
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