Misogyny in the Western Philosophical Tradition

by Beverley Clack (editor)

The Devil's Gateway (Tertullian) Big Children Their Whole Life Long (Schopenhauer) The Misbegotten Male (Aquinas). Such understandings of women are shocking, not least because they come from the great minds responsible for the formation of the western intellectual tradition. In this collection, the roots of philosophical misogyny are explored and exposed. This anthology comprises a variety of texts. Lesser known authors such as Otto Weininger and Oswald Spengler are placed alongside well known pieces from Plato, The Malleus Maleficarum, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. The text is for those interested in exploring the relationship between women and society, women and the academy.

Genres: Philosophy

262 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting selections by the editor, however after discussion it seems a good set of texts to highlight how strange or out of place the philosophy of women is in comparison with the rest of the writing done by these traditional philosophers. In the time of their writing and their own societal context it seems in many cases, given their previous writings on other subjects, that the conclusion about woman should have been different than it ended up. Perhaps they were embarrassed to write how they really felt about women, perhaps they were censored, perhaps they were just afraid of ridicule, or maybe their time period left no room for an alternative insight. Nice review of modern philosophers, a chance to reread some pieces once again in a new context. Disappointing selections for Hegel and Nietzsche.