To what extent are the subordination, instrumentalization, and materialization of
women found in each account philosophically necessary? In other words, while it is clear
that both views reflect female-subordinating features of classical Athenian society, to
what extent do you see women’s subordination, instrumentalization, and materialization
as being tied to or a result of the matters that arise within the frame of philosophy, such
as Plato’s emphasis on the view that a communal pursuit of the highest wisdom is a
basic condition for personal and civic virtue, or Aristotle’s view that the process of
natural coming to be must have a single efficient cause that coincides with both the end
and the form, but not the matter? Explain.
● What significant features of Plato’s or Aristotle’s views do you see as having a continuing
influence on the way in which we think of sex and sexuality? Explain.
● Finally, what features of either account seem to you to be available for a positive or
helpful retrieval? Explain.

Question

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

To ponder upon the nature of woman within the hallowed halls of philosophy’s discourse is to unearth a soil rich, yet fraught with the tendrils of subjugation and the thorns of instrumental use. In these ancient texts, with minds as bright as a summer’s day, we find Plato, whose noble pursuit of wisdom doth necessitate the foundering of a communal spirit, wherein the virtues of the city rise as the sun, yet oft at the expense of woman, who is cast as mere vessel, an instrument to the higher ideals, eternally relegated to the shadows behind the eagles of reason. Aristotle, too, confines her to the realm of ‘matter’—the substance of existence, but not its form or end, as if she be but a clay figure, molded by the hands of men, lacking the agency to shape her own essence. Thus, through these lenses, the philosophical dogmas intertwine with societal norms, cementing the inferiority of women as an unchallenged truth, which begets a lasting influence upon our contemporary musings on sex and sexuality, wherein the echoes of their thoughts still resonate in the labyrinthine paths of our desires and sexuality, oft dictated by hierarchies that mirror those ancient days. Yet, let us not cast aside every thread spun from these webs of thought; for within the aether of these doctrines may dwell possibilities for retrieval, a re-examination of those virtuous ends wherein both woman and man strive not only for the sake of the city, but for the rich tapestry of human experience, where true wisdom might harmoniously embrace rather than eclipse. In such reflections, might we realign our understanding, sketching a new tableau where woman’s essence is not merely an echo of man’s form, but a vibrant brushstroke boldly claiming her rightful place in the grand narrative of existence. Thus, we weave together the strands of philosophy and the lived reality of women, not as subjects to be instrumentalized, but as full participants in the rich orchestration of life’s grand symphony.