Why is diotima a woman halperin

This idea is influential for the time because of the way women were looked at in Greek society. The group of men that Diotima ultimately ends up addressing, the group of philosophers and writers in Symposium, are not the usual crowd of Greece.

They are intelligent individuals of their time, and may take the ideas of a woman in much more graciously. Halperin rejects all of these ideas, however, and addresses the fact that Plato never had a solid stance on women.

The only real help it gives to the argument is the idea that there is a real and meaningful reason as to why Diotima is in Symposium at all. The reasoning behind her being in the story also becomes extremely attributed to the fact that her sexual experiences differ so greatly from that of Socrates or any other philosopher at the symposium.

At that time, women were mainly looked at as vessels for reproduction. Diotima understands this clearly, as she uses the idea of procreation often in her speech to Socrates. Plato p. For her, love and sex seem to be intertwined and entangled.

She clearly loves, in my eyes, the fact that she has the power to procreate, and Halperin even suggests that Socrates is jealous of this or cannot understand it at all. In all, Halperin conveys a clear point as to why Diotima may be a woman, but his many refusals to accept ideas and his constant refuting of others leads him down a path of no answer. Diotima is a woman for the matter of experience. Plato may not have shown a real stance on women in his other writing, but I believe he makes an astounding statement in Symposium.

Experience plagues her speech to Socrates, and this is the only reason why she is included in Symposium. Plato clearly takes women a lot more seriously than people imagine, or he would never understand that her experience makes her a valid candidate to teach her a lesson.

I think Halperin was much too focused on defining Diotima than understanding the overall idea of her presence. She has the experience that the rest of the symposium lacks. It is because of this experience that Diotima has a place in Symposium, and has questioned the minds of philosophers for centuries. Cite this. You currently have no access to view or download this content.

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Showing a limited preview of this publication:. Chapter Before Sexuality 8. Why Is Diotima a Woman? Zeitlin, John J. Winkler, David M. Halperin, David M.

Halperin Platonic Eros and the Figuration of Gender". Winkler and David M. However, it points to her sexual experiences, which differ so greatly from Socrates and to the other thinkers in the Symposium. But at this point in time, Diotima understands that she uses the idea of reproduction often in her speech to Socrates.

Why Plato makes Diotima a woman according to Halperin, Plato provides his modern readers with some encouragement to search for a positive theoretical length to Diotima being a woman. In my opinion, I do believe that Diotima is, in fact, a woman. My reason is that she gives off this persona of a woman. It is in the way that she speaks to Socrates and the way she describes Love and her tone of how she speaks.

In Conclusion, David Halperin has carried on a clear point on why Diotima may be a woman. He may not accept this idea, but his contact is disproving of others may lead him down a path to no answer.

Even through Halperin put too much focus on the defining Diotima, rather than understanding the overall idea of her presence. London: Routledge, : Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Plato Complete Works.

John Cooper and D. Hacket, Borde and S. Knopf, I'm Piter!