Philosophy Without Women The Birth of Sexism

For most of its history, western philosophy has regarded woman as an imperfect version of man. Like so many aspects of western culture, this tradition builds on foundations laid in ancient Greece. Yet the first philosophers of antiquity were hardly agreed on first principles. Songe-Moller shows how the Greeks made intellectual choices that would prove fateful for half of humankind.

Translator's Note

ix

Preface

xi

Introduction

xiii

PART I Sexuality in Myths and Early Philosophy

1

(76)

The Greek Dream of a Womanless World

3

(18)

A myth of Athenian origins: man as the source of the child

4

(2)

Asymmetrical sexes: man as citizen, woman as secual being

6

(2)

The Pandora myth: woman as death-bringer

8

(2)

Plato and sexuality: the One as male principle, the Other as female

10

(2)

An inversion: woman as One, man as Other

12

(9)

Thought and Sexuality: A Troubled Relationship An analysis of Hesiod and Parmenides

21

(28)

Introduction

21

(2)

What is the origin of all things? Hesiod replies

23

(10)

Parmenides' poem: thought instead of sexuality

33

(16)

The prologue: the young man's journey to the goddess

33

(5)

Being and thinking: a mutually dependent relationship

38

(2)

Being: securely held in unyielding bonds. Mythology and logic in Parmenides' peom

40

(3)

Being: life without decay and death

43

(2)

Parmenidean Being: ceaselessly virile activity?

45

(4)

The Logic of Exclusion and the Free Men's Democracy An analysis of the notions of equality and balance in Anaximander and Parmenides

49

(28)

Introduction

49

(3)

The democratic polis: circularity and balance

52

(6)

Cosmology: from the hierarchical world-view of mythology to Anaximander's model of cosmic stability

58

(7)

Parmenides: theorist of the polis?

65

(12)

The sphere of Being as metaphor for the democratic city state. The unity, equality and self-identity of Being

67

(2)

The self-sufficicy of Being and the impossibility of reproduction

69

(1)

Being and polis: the active exclusion of the unequal

70

(2)

The opinions of mortals: an alternative ideal of equality

72

(5)

PART II Plato, Love and Sexual Difference

77

(78)

Tragic Conflict or Platonic Harmony? Two views of gender in antiquity

79

(10)

Tragic ambivalence

80

(4)

Platonic concorde

84

(5)

Sexuality and Philosophy in Plato's Symposium

89

(24)

Abolishing the female, or, the absence of sexual difference in Plato's philosophy

89

(5)

Philosophy as masculine birth: an analysis of the Symposium

94

(19)

The prologue (172a-180b): rhetorical presentation of the dialogue's theme

94

(3)

Pausanias' speech in praise of the heavenly, pederastic Eros (180c-185c)

97

(4)

Aristophanes' speech (189c-193d): on the origins of erotic desire

101

(3)

Socrates'/ Diotima's speech (199c-212c): philosophy as masculine reproduction

104

(9)

Virginity and Masculine Reproduction: Plato in a Woman's Looking-Glass Irigaray's reading of the cave myth

113

(16)

Plato's philosophy: portal to our mimetic culture

113

(3)

Plato's cave myth: a sketh

116

(3)

Plato's text mirrored by Irigary: a game of inversions, distortions and mystifications

119

(3)

The uterus seen through a distorting and inverting masculine mirror: a cave of death

122

(2)

Virginity as a model for ideal reproduction

124

(3)

From the prison of illusions to the prison of truth

127

(2)

From Pederasty to Philosophy On Foucault's view of sexuality in antiquity

129

(26)

The Greeks' sexual-moral problem: how to stylize one's life?

131

(2)

A masculine, virile morality: to be master of oneself and others

133

(3)

The Greek for sexuality: aphrodisia

136

(3)

The principal themes of Foucault's analysis of secuality: Dietetics, Economics, Erotics and True Love

139

(14)

Dietetics

139

(2)

Economics

141

(3)

Erotics

144

(5)

True love

149

(4)

The reception of Foucault's and Irigaray's Platonic studies: the history of woman's exclusion in repeat?

153

(2)

Notes

155

(14)

Bibliography

169

(6)

Index

175

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Philosophy Without Women The Birth of Sexism in Western Thought

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