"Women Philosophers in Antiquity"

The presence and activity of women philosophers in ancient Greece have been approached from two interconnected perspectives: (a) women philosophers and (b) male philosophers writing on women. Taking as starting point, Plato’s discussion of women’s philosophical potential and their equal roles and capabilities in the Republic and in the Laws, I aim, firstly, to investigate the presence of female students within the academy and, secondly, whether it is possible to interpret discussion on women in 4th cent. philosophical texts as evidence referring to Pythagorean women, the first women philosophers. From a methodological perspective, beside the problem of the sources, I will examine issues related to the definition of female philosophers and their activities. Such issues being directly dependent on how we define “philosophy”, and to what extent the domestic sphere can be interpreted as a philosophical topic.