GREEK PHILOSOPHERS: the most outstanding

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This lesson from a TEACHER is dedicated to leading Greek philosophersHowever, it is not possible to classify by schools, due to the invisibility and silence to which women have been condemned throughout history. Culturally, women have been relegated to the private sphere, to domestic life, limiting their access to work or training. With this article we want, therefore, to give them visibility and voice, bringing together main philosophers of antiquity. If you want to know more about the first thinkers, continue reading this post. Start your journey by ancient Greece and meet the most influential women of history!

Index

1. Who was the first Greek philosopher: Themistoclea of ​​Delphi
2. Diotima de Mantinea (380 BC-440 BC), one of the most prominent philosophers
3. Hyparquía of Maronea (346 BC-300 BC), one of the first female philosophers
4. Hypatia of Alexandria (350 / 370-415), mathematician and astronomer

Thales of Miletus he was the father of the western philosophy, Y Pythagoras, the first to use the term "philosopher"But who was the mother? Well, on this issue it is not without controversy and not all historians agree when talking about the first Greek thinker. And the truth is that there is a lot of data missing in this regard, due to the little consideration that is he had the work of women, identified with their role as reproducers, but not as production companies. That was a man's thing.

Well then, the priestess, Themistoclea of ​​Delphi (600 BC) is considered by many, the first Greek philosopher, since, despite her status as a priestess, her influence on the Pythagorean school is clear, according to her Diogenes Laertius. While for others, Théano of Crotona, Pythagoras's wife, who was also her teacher, was the first philosopher and the first mathematician. But there are also those who affirm that the first philosopher in the history of the West was Aspasia of Miletus, who was a teacher of rhetoric.

It must be borne in mind that in ancient Greece, where philosophy was born, that of a philosopher, more than a profession was a attitude towards life, hence, it is so difficult to determine who was the first philosopher in the history of thought western. The lack of data on women philosophers makes it very difficult to know what role they played in the birth of philosophy.

Diotima de Mantinea is another of the most prominent Greek philosophers. Philosopher, priestess and teacher of Socrates, to whom she offers a whole genealogy of love, whom he considers son of Circumstance and Necessity. Plato says in "The banquet" that everything she knows about the philosophy of love is thanks to this thinker, who asked her questions, in principle simple, but in the reality they were not so much, making him doubt her convictions in this regard, of the beautiful, of the ugly, until reaching the origin and usefulness of the love. Her ideas give rise to platonic love.

Diotima initiates Socrates into the mysteries of Eros or Cupid, demigods belonging to the Orphic tradition. Her idea of ​​her love is harsh, considering it fake and mean and that is nothing more than lust for immortality.

This philosopher distinguishes between two types of love: the physical and the spiritual. The first seeks immortality through procreation and the second through ideas. The ultimate goal is the knowledge of the divine.

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She belonged to the cynical school, that is, she was "a bitch" and she was the wife of Crates, with whom she shared the same attitude towards life. She considered a rebellious and libertine woman, who I give up his wealth and comforts for joining the cynical school, she dressed in old clothes, along with Crates, since he imposed as a condition on her wife, to imitate her customs, and she accepted without problem.

She had a carefree attitude about sex and didn't mind having sex anytime, anywhere, no matter what they say. It is said that she was a very good person, always ready to help those most in need. She can be considered one of the first feminist philosophers of history.

Hyparquía left three books written, but unfortunately none are preserved: Philosophical hypotheses, Epicheremes Y Questions to Theodore called the Atheist. Theodore the Atheist did not approve of women dedicating themselves to philosophy, stating that they should take care of household chores.

I, Hiparquía, did not follow the customs of sex

feminine, but with a manly heart I continued

to the strong dogs. I did not like the attached cloak

with the fibula, nor the foot shod and my tape is

forgot about perfume. I go barefoot, with a cane,

a dress covers my limbs and I have

the hard earth instead of a bed. I am the owner

of my life to know as much and more than the maenads for hunting.

Epigram of Antipater, dedicated to Hyparchy. "To women".

And we end this summary with the main Greek philosophers to talk about Hypatia of Alexandria. She was a philosopher, mathematician Y astronomer, daughter and disciple of the astronomer Theon and belonging to the Neoplatonic school of Alexandria, and teacher of a school of Christian and pagan aristocrats, among which the bishop Sinesio of Cyrene, with whom he she was regularly written, Hesychius of Alexandria and Orestes, who was the prefect of Egypt when they killed Hypatia.

She wrote about geometry, algebra Y astronomy, improved the astrolabe primitive, which served to determine the position of the stars, and invented the densimeter. This makes it considered the first scientist of history.

Unfortunately, this philosopher It was murdered, lynched and dismembered by a group of angry Christians. The reasons, the confrontation between Christians and pagans, the political struggles within the Church, the patriarchy and the power of the empire.

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Juan Sinisio Pérez Garzón. 2011. Foreword by Amelia Valcárcel. History of Feminism. Ed. Cataract