Women Who Shaped Ancient Philosophy

Most people can name famous Ancient philosophers who were men, such as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. However, few can name a philosopher in Ancient Philosophy who was a woman. This doesn't mean that women didn't exist in the discipline; we just aren't taught who they are. While women contributed to ancient philosophy, they faced judgment from society for doing so. Prejudice about women's intelligence prevented them from earning the same reputation in philosophy as men. The work of many women philosophers from ancient times lives on through the words of male philosophers. Although it may be difficult to verify all the facts that have been passed down through the ages, the following is what we know of these influential female philosophers.

Themista of Lampsacus

First on the list is Themista of Lampsacus, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 371 to 271 BCE. Themista was a follower of the ancient Greek philosophy of Epicureanism. This philosophy was a form of ethical hedonism, which taught that what was pleasurable is what was morally good. Pleasure, in this philosophy, isn't ecstasy but the absence of pain. Unlike most of his fellow philosophers, Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, allowed women to attend his school. This was unusual in the 3rd century BCE, where women were considered to be second-class citizens.

Arete of Cyrene

Another philosophical school of thought belonging to hedonism is the School of Cyrene philosophy. This was one of the first schools to be based on hedonism. Arete of Cyrene was the daughter of Aristippus of Cyrene, the leader of the school, and she learned from him. Many other philosophers reference Arete, including Diogenes, Strabo, Aelius, Clement of Alexandria, and Aristocles. According to Diogenes, some of Arete's students include Anniceris and Theodorus the Atheist. Arete is believed to have had around one hundred and ten philosophy students in her thirty-five years of teaching philosophy. While records indicate she wrote around forty books, none of them have survived today. She would have taught many core Cyrenaic tenets. For example, the Cyrenaics argued that while the goal of life was pleasure, there were certain ways to get there. They said negative emotions such as anger and fear multiplied pain. They believed discipline, virtue and knowledge were the most likely actions to result in a pleasurable life.

Themistoclea

Another woman who was celebrated for her contribution to philosophy was Themistoclea. She was a priestess at Delphi, which the Ancient Greeks considered be the center of the world. Themistoclea was highly regarded in the ancient world of philosophy and politics. She was alive during the 1st century CE. During this time she was part of the political-religious system and world leaders sometimes sought her out for divine advice about political matters.

While little is known about her philosophies today, we know she believed in the importance of philosophy. Themistoclea led a group of women devotees of Dionysus at Delphi. She was friends with the famous middle Platonist philosopher Plutarch. Plutarch was a unique philosopher at the time for celebrating the intellect of many women. He wrote about his invigorating philosophical conversations with Themistoclea in some of his books. They talked about everything from death and virtue to religious history.

Perictione

There is a lot of confusion around the Ancient Greek philosopher Perictione. Some people believe she was the mother of one of the world's most well-known philosophers, Plato. If this is true, she was a descendant of Solon, a famous Athenian lawmaker. Some people don't believe this. Instead, they argue that she was not the mother of Plato but a disciple of Pythagoras who merely shared a name with Plao's mother.

Regardless of her backstory, there was a philosopher in ancient Greece named Pericitione. She wrote about marital and female psychology. This was nothing new; she was not the first ancient Greek woman to do this. Her work, however, doesn't solely focus on women and has an explicit metaphysical and epistemological focus. Percitone's work went on to influence the philosophy of other ancient Greek philosophers, possibly including Socrates. The ancient Greek historian Diogenes Laertius, mentions that Perictione and Socrates were friends for many years.

Aspasia of Miletus

Unlike the other philosophers on this list, Aspasia was an immigrant to Ancient Athens. Originally from the coast of Asia Minor, she was an accomplished courtesan. Her status as a foreigner was to her advantage in the world of philosophy in Ancient Greece. This meant she was not bound by the same legal rules as other women around her and was allowed to participate in public life in Athens. Philosophers such as Socrates and Plutarch came to listen to her discourse. They held her in high regard for her "rare political wisdom." Little is known about her actual philosophies. What we know about Aspasia today is through the work of other philosophers such as Plutarch.

Aspasia is most well known as Pericles' lover. He was a Greek politician during the Golden age of Athens. She met Pericles at a symposium, and although they were in love, she was not allowed to marry him. However, the two still made their relationship work. Pericles divorced his wife, and Aspasia came to live with him. She faced a lot of criticism for her relationship with Pericles. People criticized her for her sexuality and her influence over Pericles. She bravely kept living her life despite the social criticism, continuing her philosophical endeavors.

Porcia Catonis

Born around 64BCE, the Roman Stoic philosopher Porcia Catonis was another influential philosopher in the ancient world. She was the daughter of the renowned Stoic Cato the Younger. Cato was the famous enemy of the dictator Julius Caesar. Little is known about Porcia's life except in relation to Marcus Junius Brutus, her second husband. Porcia was written about by Plutarch, who claimed that Porcia Catonis was "addicted to philosophy." Similar to other stoics at the time, she practiced hardship, proving that she could still thrive.

Her second husband, Brutus, was part of the group that assassinated Julius Caeser. It isn't clear how much Porcia knew about Brutus's plan. However, to prove she could be trusted, Plutarch wrote that Procia plunged a knife into her thigh. She endured a fever, chills, and pain, working through it to show Brutus her loyalty. Brutus was moved by her dedication and it's unclear if he had a chance to tell her about the assassination. Regardless, the story became well known and Porcia is seen as an honorable Stoic.

For the most part, the contributions these women made to philosophy are still vague to us today, but there is no denying their influence. Many other famous philosophers have written about these women and how these women's ideas changed their philosophy. Women were considered second-class citizens in most places in Ancient Times. They were not always allowed to attend schools or universities like men. However, they still found a way to contribute to philosophy.