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Female and Feminine in Plato’s Symposium

  • Cristina de Souza Agostini
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Women in the Socratic Tradition
This chapter is in the book Women in the Socratic Tradition

Abstract

In the Symposium, discussion about the nobility and vileness of human females, as well as the feminine, is not sporadic. It appears in praise of Eros, in various mythical references and, more specifically, in the speeches of Phaedrus, Pausanias, and Aristophanes. In effect, the guests’ presentation of Eros exaggeratedly confers superiority to both men and the masculine through the pederastic relationship, while belittling the erotic influence of women and practices characterized as feminine. In a certain sense, Phaedrus, Pausanias and Aristophanes agree that all aspects of the virtuous character are more eminent in men; hence, all relationships involving females or goddesses of maternal origin do not participate from men’s sphere of activity to guarantee the supremacy of masculine virtue. Thus, considering that the figures of Alcestis, Aphrodite, Dione and primordial nature are fundamental to understanding the meaning of Eros in the non-Socratic perspective of Phaedrus, Pausanias and Aristophanes, I intend to demonstrate, first, how the terms male/masculine and female/feminine are used in the encomiums of the aforementioned guests; and, second, how this distinction is fundamental to the philosophical role of Socrates as a midwife of logoi.

Abstract

In the Symposium, discussion about the nobility and vileness of human females, as well as the feminine, is not sporadic. It appears in praise of Eros, in various mythical references and, more specifically, in the speeches of Phaedrus, Pausanias, and Aristophanes. In effect, the guests’ presentation of Eros exaggeratedly confers superiority to both men and the masculine through the pederastic relationship, while belittling the erotic influence of women and practices characterized as feminine. In a certain sense, Phaedrus, Pausanias and Aristophanes agree that all aspects of the virtuous character are more eminent in men; hence, all relationships involving females or goddesses of maternal origin do not participate from men’s sphere of activity to guarantee the supremacy of masculine virtue. Thus, considering that the figures of Alcestis, Aphrodite, Dione and primordial nature are fundamental to understanding the meaning of Eros in the non-Socratic perspective of Phaedrus, Pausanias and Aristophanes, I intend to demonstrate, first, how the terms male/masculine and female/feminine are used in the encomiums of the aforementioned guests; and, second, how this distinction is fundamental to the philosophical role of Socrates as a midwife of logoi.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Contents VII
  4. Abbreviations
  5. Frontmatter XVII
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I: Socratic Women
  8. Rhodogyne and the Tradition of the Amazon Type 13
  9. Panthea’s Portrait in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia: Kalokagathia, Philia, Eros, and Leadership 37
  10. Aspasia’s Eidolon in Plato’s Menexenus 59
  11. Xanthippe’s Harshness: At the Root of Socrates’ Endurance and Paideutic Mission 79
  12. The Myrto Enigma: A Wife on the Side? 103
  13. The Wife of Ischomachus and the Two Aspasia in Xenophon’s Oeconomicus 145
  14. Theodote and Socrates’ Other Girlfriends 161
  15. Hipparchia’s Philosophical Contributions and Her Originality 181
  16. Part II: Socratics on Women
  17. Women in Antisthenes 203
  18. Xenophon’s Women: Women’s Virtue and Women’s Body 225
  19. Aristippus’ View of Women: Misogyny or Theoretical Tension? 245
  20. Plato’s Women: Extending the Socratic Insight 271
  21. Undermining Elite Self-Conceptions: Aspasia in the Platonic Menexenus and Theodote in Xenophon’s Memorabilia 299
  22. Women in Common: The Socratic Debate 321
  23. Part III: Socratic Philosophy as a Woman
  24. Was Socrates a Woman? 347
  25. Socrates, Hestia, and the Hearth of the City 371
  26. Female Container-Metaphors in Plato and Xenophon: The Chōra and the Oikos 391
  27. Female and Feminine in Plato’s Symposium 407
  28. The Pregnant Soul and Labor Pains: Female Medical Imagery in Plato 431
  29. The Mother and Her Child: The Paradoxes of a Socratic Metaphor 453
  30. About the Authors
  31. Index Nominum
  32. Index Locorum
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111692456-019

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Contents VII
  4. Abbreviations
  5. Frontmatter XVII
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I: Socratic Women
  8. Rhodogyne and the Tradition of the Amazon Type 13
  9. Panthea’s Portrait in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia: Kalokagathia, Philia, Eros, and Leadership 37
  10. Aspasia’s Eidolon in Plato’s Menexenus 59
  11. Xanthippe’s Harshness: At the Root of Socrates’ Endurance and Paideutic Mission 79
  12. The Myrto Enigma: A Wife on the Side? 103
  13. The Wife of Ischomachus and the Two Aspasia in Xenophon’s Oeconomicus 145
  14. Theodote and Socrates’ Other Girlfriends 161
  15. Hipparchia’s Philosophical Contributions and Her Originality 181
  16. Part II: Socratics on Women
  17. Women in Antisthenes 203
  18. Xenophon’s Women: Women’s Virtue and Women’s Body 225
  19. Aristippus’ View of Women: Misogyny or Theoretical Tension? 245
  20. Plato’s Women: Extending the Socratic Insight 271
  21. Undermining Elite Self-Conceptions: Aspasia in the Platonic Menexenus and Theodote in Xenophon’s Memorabilia 299
  22. Women in Common: The Socratic Debate 321
  23. Part III: Socratic Philosophy as a Woman
  24. Was Socrates a Woman? 347
  25. Socrates, Hestia, and the Hearth of the City 371
  26. Female Container-Metaphors in Plato and Xenophon: The Chōra and the Oikos 391
  27. Female and Feminine in Plato’s Symposium 407
  28. The Pregnant Soul and Labor Pains: Female Medical Imagery in Plato 431
  29. The Mother and Her Child: The Paradoxes of a Socratic Metaphor 453
  30. About the Authors
  31. Index Nominum
  32. Index Locorum
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