Philosophy Without Women: The Birth of Sexism in Western Thought (Athlone Contemporary European Thinkers Series)

For most of its history, western philosophy has regarded woman as an imperfect version of man. Like so many aspects of European culture, this tradition builds on foundations laid in ancient Greece. Yet the first philosophers of antiquity were hardly agreed on first principles. Vigdis Songe-Muller examines the differences between Presocratic monists like Parmenides, and implicit pluralists such as Anaximander, and shows how the Greeks made intellectual choices that would prove fateful for half of humankind. The text re-evaluates Greek mythology, throws a harsh new light on the invention of democracy, and exposes Platonic harmony to be an ideal driven by a peculiarly masculine fear of death. It was a fear that could only be overcome by denying the significance of difference, and at times even the rightful existence of that which embodied difference. For the Greek man, the difference that mattered was nowhere more frighteningly apparent than in woman. Pt. I. Sexuality In Myths And Early Philosophy -- Ch. 1. The Greek Dream Of A Womanless World -- Ch. 2. Thought And Sexuality: A Troubled Relationship: An Analysis Of Hesiod And Parmenides -- Ch. 3. The Logic Of Exclusion And The Free Men's Democracy: An Analysis Of The Notions Of Equality And Balance In Anaximander And Parmenides -- Pt. Ii. Plato, Love And Sexual Difference -- Ch. 4. Tragic Conflict Or Platonic Harmony? Two Views Of Gender In Antiquity -- Ch. 5. Sexuality And Philosophy In Plato's Symposium -- Ch. 6. Virginity And Masculine Reproduction : Plato In A Woman's Looking-glass -- Ch. 7. From Pederasty To Philosophy: On Foucault's View Of Sexuality In Antiquity. Vigdis Songe-møller ; Translated By Peter Cripps. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Translated From The Norwegian. Education in West Central Asia is a comprehensive critical reference guide to education in the region. With chapters written by an international team of leading regional education experts, the book explores the education systems of each country in the region. With chapters covering Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the book critically examines the development of education provision in each country as well as local and global contexts. Including a comparative introduction to the issues facing education in the region as a whole and guid 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-Möller shows how the Greeks made intellectual choices that would prove fateful for half of humankind