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Gig Φ Philosophy: Published January, 2024 [UPDATED 2026]
Gender Inequalities.pdfWhy Do Feminists Need Their Own Philosophies?
Why Do Feminists Need Their Own Philosophies?
Plato's View of Women
Plato's View of Women
Plato’s stance on women is complex and contradictory, largely depending on which text you are reading. He oscillates between surprisingly progressive ideas and traditional ancient Greek misogyny.
Plato’s stance on women is complex and contradictory, largely depending on which text you are reading. He oscillates between surprisingly progressive ideas and traditional ancient Greek misogyny.
In the Republic, Plato argues that women are capable of being "Philosopher Rulers" alongside men. Because he believed the soul has no gender, women theoretically possess the same rational capacity to lead and should receive the same education. However, in texts like the Timaeus, his views are drastically different; he suggests that men who live cowardly or immoral lives are punished by being reincarnated as women.
In the Republic, Plato argues that women are capable of being "Philosopher Rulers" alongside men. Because he believed the soul has no gender, women theoretically possess the same rational capacity to lead and should receive the same education. However, in texts like the Timaeus, his views are drastically different; he suggests that men who live cowardly or immoral lives are punished by being reincarnated as women.
While Plato was remarkably ahead of his time for suggesting women could rule and be educated, he couldn't entirely escape the sexism of his era. He frequently added caveats that men were still generally "superior" in most tasks, creating a framework where women could only succeed by acting and thinking exactly like men.
While Plato was remarkably ahead of his time for suggesting women could rule and be educated, he couldn't entirely escape the sexism of his era. He frequently added caveats that men were still generally "superior" in most tasks, creating a framework where women could only succeed by acting and thinking exactly like men.
Masculine View of Reason
Masculine View of Reason
Western philosophy has a long history of "gendering" human traits, a concept heavily critiqued by feminist philosophers (such as Genevieve Lloyd in The Man of Reason).
Western philosophy has a long history of "gendering" human traits, a concept heavily critiqued by feminist philosophers (such as Genevieve Lloyd in The Man of Reason).
This view relies on Hierarchical Dualism, splitting human experience into binary categories. Traits like "reason," "objectivity," and "the mind" were historically coded as masculine. Conversely, "emotion," "nature," and "the physical body" were coded as feminine. Because classical philosophy elevates pure reason as the highest human ideal, the "masculine" side of the binary is deemed superior to the "feminine" side.
This view relies on Hierarchical Dualism, splitting human experience into binary categories. Traits like "reason," "objectivity," and "the mind" were historically coded as masculine. Conversely, "emotion," "nature," and "the physical body" were coded as feminine. Because classical philosophy elevates pure reason as the highest human ideal, the "masculine" side of the binary is deemed superior to the "feminine" side.
This masculine view of reason inherently devalues women. By framing women as inherently less rational and more bound to their chaotic emotions or physical nature, the "ideal rational thinker" in philosophy was always implicitly male. This epistemic injustice has been used for centuries to alienate women from the realm of logic and exclude them from philosophical and political authority.
This masculine view of reason inherently devalues women. By framing women as inherently less rational and more bound to their chaotic emotions or physical nature, the "ideal rational thinker" in philosophy was always implicitly male. This epistemic injustice has been used for centuries to alienate women from the realm of logic and exclude them from philosophical and political authority.
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