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The Paradox of Women: Plato and Aristotle The Paradox of Women There is an underlying paradox that exists between Plato's and Aristotle's writings pertaining to
ethics is indeed centred around. Key philosophers within the debate regarding Ethics are indeed Plato and Aristotle - who's own views differed somewhat. Fundamentally,
the system he observes, but as heirs of the western philosophical tradition that goes back to Plato and Aristotle they have found it difficult to cope with the realization.
and regulated in every detail by the popular will. Rousseau demands that anyone refusing to subscribe to the articles of this faith be banished and that anyone who
of science fiction and utopia, Liverpool Science Fiction Texts and Studies 17 (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2000) J. Adams, 'Outer Space and the New World
Submitted by essereinfinito on April 25, 2006
Category: Philosophy
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The Paradox of Women
There is an underlying paradox that exists between Plato's and Aristotle's writings pertaining to women. This contradiction between the writings asks the question of why was it acceptable for Plato to take the approach of making women and men equal and why Aristotle saw women as being inferior to men. This paper hopes to examine this inconsistency by not only examining each of Aristotle and Plato's respective views but also through interpretation of the Greek society that they both lived in. Through this paper I do not presume that if Aristotle and Plato's philosophies had been the same then they would have political views that are not as radically different then they currently are. However, if Plato's city did not make men and women equal then Plato's argument would be slightly discredited. The root of this paradox that exists between Plato and Aristotle concerning women is entrenched in their different theories of truth.
Plato tells his idea of truth by using the Allegory of the Cave. The ultimate goal of the allegory is to achieve this truth. The cave is described as being a dark place underground. At the top of the cave there is an entrance in which there is light. Behind the people there is a fire which makes shadows on the wall that they are facing. These human beings have been chained; they have not been able to see anything else except the shadows on the wall. The people in the cave believe what the shadows show them as truth because they do not know anything else to be truth. In the cave the shadows represent the world around them and what they hold as truths. The chains symbolize the current customs and traditions. Those who are bound in the cave become unbound and they exit the cave then Plato believes that they will have seen the form and therefore know the truth. Plato would consider the current society of Greece to be in the cave. He would say that since they hold on to traditions that they have...
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