Was Plato a Feminist?
Plato was one of the only few philosophers from the ancient Greeks who believes the modern feminists’ view of men and women being equal in the society. Throughout the history, many people consider him as “the first feminist” and use his writings and dialogues as the support for the feminist movement. Plato asserts his belief in Book V of the Republic that jobs and responsibilities should be distributed by the person’s nature instead of neither the gender nor the appearance in an ideal state. The main argument of his belief is very similar to what feminist movements are proposing, which that the gender and biological differences should not determine the role of women in the society. To be more specific, Plato wrote that
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The nature that people possesses should not be dictated by the society and their gender, but by their soul that they are borne with. He continues in the Republic and wrote that “if it appears that they differ only in this respect that the female bears and the male begets, we shall say that no proof has yet been produced that the woman differs from the man for our purposes, but we shall continue to think that our guardians and their wives ought to follow the same pursuits” (454e), proving that there is no significant difference between men and women that could exclude women from governing and occupations that used to be male …show more content…
In the Timaeus dialogue, he writes that “of the men who came into the world, those who were cowards or led unrighteous lives may with reason be supposed to have changed into the nature of women in the second generation” (Timaeus 91), saying that the soul will be separated from the body after death and continue to exist, and women body is where those corrupted souls reincarnated. Many Plato scholars or feminist who try to use Plato’s philosophy as their support, and they tried to defend this particular myth in the Timaeus by saying that the Republic’s philosophy was what Plato truly believed, not the other dialogues. However, Feminist scholar Christine Garside Allen in her chapter “Plato on Women” counter this defense with the fact that although some aspects of the myth could be dismissed, it is still undeniable that Plato clearly believes that women are an inferior kind of incarnation
Plato’s words have a much deeper meaning than what is on the surface, therefore he must have be opinionated on the topic of abortion. Throughout Plato’s Republic, we learn many ideas that Plato and Socrates have. One idea Plato has is that in a just city, every citizen must have a certain job. The city should not be made of men who are jacks of all trades, “Who would do a finer job, one man practicing many arts, or one man one art?”
She uses the words, "to the whole people- as well as women" (Anthony 3) and asking the question, "Are women persons?" (Anthony 5) Since all people are considered citizens, then women should be given the right to vote. Anthony further exemplifies the country is not a, "republic" (Anthony 4), but "an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe" (Anthony 4). Men had been posed with the feeling that they are in too much control and pose as tyrannical rulers over women. They see women as inferior and do not think much of them other than the fact that their purpose is to serve under
Antigone and The Importance of Gender in Ancient Greek Culture In Ancient Greece, there was a social hierarchy onto which everyone fell in one category or another. There were the free and the enslaved, the Greeks and the foreigners, the rich and the poor. Gender was an important aspect in this hierarchical society in which Sophocles’ Antigone (Sophocles) takes place. The men had their roles as the leaders of society, participating in politics, law, and the military.
Plato an ancient Greek philosopher, whose philosophical work influenced the founding of western thought. Born in 427 B.C in the town of Athens, during the time of the Peloponnesian War Plato witness the collapse of Athenian democracy and emergence of an Oligarchy, establish by the Spartan. The repressive system of government was known as the “the thirty” the thirty were elected officials who managed all of Athens affairs. However, the end result of the thirty was repressive governing for the Athenian people who were accustom to democracy. This was one major event, that had a profound impact on Plato life, due to the unjust ruling placed upon the Athenian people, by 403 B.C democracy was restored once again and Plato had an interest in politics,
This is the strongest piece of evidence because it outright repeats the thesis. In that time period, women had no rights and were thought of as a man’s property. The quote gives a voice to women everywhere. It is talking about how women want to be respected like a man would.
In ancient times, all over the world, woman were considered inferior to men. Woman in ancient Greece, as well as in other religions, did not have any political rights, official power, and were not educated. Becasue of this, Antigone’s gender is a problem from Creon since he does not recognize her
Furthermore, Feminist Criticism provides a better view of literature because it shows that women can be powerful. When Emilia finds out that her husband has been plotting an evil plan she says,” Tis proper I obey him, but not now”(Othello V.2.195). Emilia refuses to help her husband after she finds the cruel intentions he has despite the expectation of women always being submissive to their husbands. Women also have a voice and feelings, they are capable of defying their husbands commands when they know what he expects is simply wrong. In a literary article,The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading states that,” Society weighs heavily on the shoulders of women; they feel that they must support the men and defer to them, even if the actions of the men are questionable” (Literary Articles).
Medieval Europe ranged from 500 to 1500 AD, and was considered by many to be a Dark Age. After the fall of Western Rome, Europe was divided into many different feudal states. Lifestyle was very rural and simple, with little progression or innovation; until the Commercial Revolution, beginning in 1100. This influx of trade led to a more stabilized merchant or middle class, causing towns and cities to be built. These cities meant a growing economy, and in turn more innovation and art.
In ancient times, there is a general sense that women were simply items and slaves to their husbands. Ancient Greece specifically has a renowned reputation of favoring men. Men possessed the dominant role in public affairs and events while most women were pressured to stay at home. Very few records extensively discuss women; the records focus mostly on men. Despite the lacking records, it is certain how ancient Greeks viewed their women and their relationships with their male counterparts.
The Geek society had may guidelines concerning the way men and women were treated and the roles they played within society. “The concept of gender was an integral aspect of this social hierarchy; power was not evenly distributed and only men were allowed to participate in prestige activities such as politics, law, or the military” (“The Ure Museum”). The values of gender roles within the Greek society are expressed in the play Medea by Euripides. Though Euripides tried to show the disparities of how women are treated compared to men, he still uses some of the same stereotypes exhibited within Greek society. Some issues that will be discussed are the way the women are portrayed in Greek society.
Also women did not really have a say in what could happen in a situation because the men had to speak for them. Women had to be loyal to the husbands or there would be a consequence for there actions. An example for this is when Jocasta and Laius were deciding to expose Oedipus on Mount Cithaeron. Laius took the newborn Oedipus from Jocasta 's arms and sent him with someone to be left out and to be exposed. Mothers have a strong connection with their children, so it must have been very difficult for Jocasta to watch her baby be exposed.
If we fail to acknowledge our hubris at the highest level, all of our society will suffer. We have given up our ability to evaluate life in favor of something far easier. For example, we choose to elect government officials who then act as tokens of our own values. This is the case in all republics be it Ancient Greece or the United States. By doing this we secure our fate and deny life itself.
Throughout history, women have been second fiddle to men. Females have been degraded, disrespected, and undermined; they’ve been ignored, silenced, and gone unheard. This gender inequality is present even in The Odyssey, though it includes many important female figures. Penelope, Calypso, Circe, and more are all crucial to the plot, and some even responsible for the happy ending, yet when inspected closely female stereotypes emerge. The majority of the women are presented as seductresses, the others as mothers, and almost all as fragile and dependent on men.
Sophocles intentionally restricts the females in the confines of gender, infrequently aligning their entitlements to life as males. For instance, women are sexually repressed. Taking a look at Jocasta, despite being the queen of Thebes, has no control over a basic and private right of choosing a marriage partner, after the death of King Laius. Similarly, the objectification of women in the text ignominious, which direly redraws an ill fate that retraces the monarchy.
Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, is a memoir depicting the life of a young girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran during the late 1970’s. Before the Islamic Revolution the country of Iran was run by a westernized ruler called the Shah. After the Shah is overthrown the country’s new government places new religious rules making if obligatory for women, and sometimes men, to wear specific clothing in public. A key theme I picked up on in the book is the theme of rights, specifically women's rights. Marjane Satrapi writes the women and their roles in her book as strong willed and very active in politics.