Philosophy Without Women: The Birth of Sexism in Western Thought

by Vigdis Songe-Møller

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-M°ller shows how the Greeks made intellectual choices that would prove fateful for half of humankind.

Genres: Philosophy, Feminism, Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2002

About the author

Vigdis Songe-Møller (born 1949) is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bergen.

Songe-Møller's Philosophy without Women was a feminist exploration of ancient philosophy. Her own experience as a pregnant woman – for whom "the Parmenidean idea of all things existing ultimately as one and self-identical is, to say the least, far from self-evident" – led her to investigate connections between "the Greek philosophers' ideals of unity, self-identity and eternity and their attitudes towards sexuality, reproduction and sexual difference." (wiki)

Reviews

[J O'Toole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be on the National Curriculum's must study list. It is not a simple, pop-culture telling of the underlying problems with modern society and social inequality that women (apparently) experience. It is also not a quick and simple read. It is an academic study of the historical grounding for this vein in culture (in the west), created in Ancient Greece and still prevalent in modern society. However, the author's narrative style and the fascinating subject is well worth the effort of focusing the brain, and the ideas and revelations are easily absorbed. I love academic books, so it was kind of fun to me.

I am not widely read in philosophy, though am familiar with some of the famous works of Socrates, Horace and Plato, but it's not necessary to know these works deeply, as they are examined and broken down into understandable and focused sections, and you can learn as you go. A really interesting section covered the two trains of philosophical thought going round in that age. One was the egalitarian society, and the other, well, the more sexist-type one that has prevailed for millennia. Plato, yeah he doesn't come off so well. However, deeper research into the patriarchal (and no, I don't think it's necessarily a bad word) societies that did exist in the West (and no longer do, regardless of what some women would like to hear) does banish some of these overbearing ideas. There were very specific societal reasons for much of what happened in pre-modern, medieval and ancient Western countries, that were imperative to their survival.

I also discovered a new philosopher called Anaximander, who (in the book on my shelf to read) is heralded as the first scientist. So is Leonardo Da Vinci, but you know, Ancient Greece. Anaximander was egalitarian as far as I understand from this book, I've yet to get round to my biography of him, but he sounds waaay better than Plato. And yes, all philosophers in uproar right now, I did just say that. Plato literally tried to write women out of existence and worth because, unfortunately for him, he couldn't actually make them all disappear. Children, to him it seemed, (birthed to women as only they can be) weren't even part of their blood - they were merely the seed of the male ripening in the womb; all children were only of their father in creation. The study is so very intricate that I believe Plato was a massive arsehole. Sure he wrote some good stuff but, meh. Nobber.

And men, if you think only women were/are affected by social orders, you're wrong. Plato (where the word platonic comes from) exalted the male relationship as the most important in the universe - this is the homosexual relationship (hetero was not seen as particularly important because women weren't citizens or important) - which still prevails in terms of presumed social status, however societies following Ancient Greece (for example to Vile Victorians) have since condemned masculine relationships to that of no touchy, cold, shoulder-thumping connections or the term 'man up'. You, too, have been severely screwed over by society's rules. To be honest though, bromances were still around in the Middle Ages, hence the codes of Chivalry - immense man-love, ahoy!

All in all, this text is essential. I do not prescribe to modern feminism, nor do I inhale bubblegum feminist books that tell me what I should be doing with my body hair (or not) by women who are exactly the kind of person I actively avoid. What interests me is the depths of modern ideas, which are always, always rooted in something far, far older, and usually, extremely out of touch. It's recognising and attending to these flaws which is essential in changing the way we see the people in our world, both women and men. Some things are certainly stuff we could do without. However, older ideals are not always, nor should be, extinct, because many exist for a reason. Plato was still a nob, though.

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven provocative but quite academic essays about attitudes to women in classical Greek philosophy, particularly that of Plato's Republic, Phaedrus and Symposium, including a commentary on Foucault's inadequate study of sexuality in antiquity.

Plato certainly acknowledged the presence and capacity of women in his Republic and elsewhere, and is known to have included some women among his students, but even where he seems to offer equal rights and opportunities to women, it is arguably done not to give equal - or any - value to their part in society or their perspective on life, but rather to brush over sex differences and distract from his concentration on exclusively masculine priorities and values. The result is to produce a defective cosmology, laden with irrational claims which these essays set about exposing, but one to which women could, if invited, offer imaginative contributions and improvements. As an example, the book explores a feminist reading of Plato's cave. To be fair to Plato, his later dialogues identified and addressed many glaring defects in the Republic and earlier dialogues, including a radical attack on his own theory of forms in his Parmenides dialogue. He could be heroically self critical within his limits. However, the Plato with historical influence is typically the Plato of the Republic and his flagrant misogyny did not dissipate.

The unhealthy and offensive aspiration to devise a world in which men could dispense with women is explicit in Greek thought and remains clearly visible today. Both then and now, and at many points between, powerful and influential men have seen this as both achievable and desirable. Those men are dangerous and it is well worthwhile to scrutinise and debunk their arguments.

On the other hand, these essays also illustrate the scope for fresh and lively new work in the study and application of classical Greek philosophy with the benefit of a feminist perspective. After all, the idea of a world without women is delusional and any philosophy that ignores women is simply rubbish.

[Phil Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slim book that deserves a slow read - it took me 6 weeks (154 pages). There's a lot of interesting material here - especially concerning the nuts and bolts of Western philosophy and the role men have played in creating a charmed and protected world where women are treated as second-class citizens (and I use the term 'citizens' advisedly since in Ancient Greece women were not allowed that title. It goes a long way to explaining why certain belief systems entrenched in the past continue to relegate women to a subordinate role in society (and indeed in many families). Who could imagine a wife, on being raped, might be accused of committing an offence against her husband's honour. This scholarly volume also illuminates the long and arduous path feminism needs to pursue in order to validate itself. Maybe a book for those who mistakenly believe universal suffrage finally gave women equal rights.

[ryan bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best classical studies books i've come across. her ananlysis of the origin myth of athens and athena is worth the book.

[Dagezi]

Seems like a useful corrective for those folks who think that the Greek Polis is ever so useful for contemporary theory.