Philosophical Women

 I was completely appalled when I read Aristotle’s views on women. How can someone believe that women are “incomplete men”? Not only does Aristotle make that bold statement, but he also goes on about how women are soil while the men are sowers. It was very hard for me to believe that such a smart man could actually believe this, and it still is.

In my opinion Plato, Condorcet, and Olympe de Gouges provided the most admirable answers to questions about gender in Sohpie’s World. Plato was right in believing that women can be as smart as men and are just as capable of governing due to the fact that everyone is born with reason. He also rightly believed that women have the same reasoning skills as men as long as they receive education. Condorcet believed that women were born with the same “natural rights” as men. He had seen how active the women were in fighting against the king and his regime during the French Revolution. All of the women’s action just proved that they should be treated as equals along with being considered equals. Olympe de Gouges, a woman philosopher during the French Revolution, wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Women in an attempt to gain women more rights; however, she was beheaded for her righteous act.

 I believe most of the philosophers in Sophie’s World are men because during the time when philosophy was at its peak women were considered the minority. Society had classified women as uneducated housewives. Their role was to stay at home while the men worked and take care of the children.  Unfortunately, this was a period in history when women were seemingly invisible. Women philosophers, musicians, and artists were over looked solely on the basis of their gender. This might leave some people wondering whether or not we missed out on some really good ideas, but now we will never know.