Description
Book SynopsisWhat does the study of Plato s dialogues tell us about the modern meaning of sex ? How can recent developments in the philosophy of sex and gender help us read these ancient texts anew? Plato and Sex addresses these questions for the first time.
Trade Review"A groundbreaking work in feminist philosophy."
New Formations "A serious contribution to scholarship in the field of ancient philosophy as well as a serious contribution to feminist philosophy."
Radical Philosophy "
Plato and Sex is a groundbreaking treatment of the role of sex in Plato's dialogues. An extended commentary on and source of support for recent attempts to denaturalize our concepts of sex and gender, the book is a major contribution to feminist approaches to Plato, to gender/sexuality studies of Plato, and to gender/sexuality studies as a whole."
Deborah Achtenberg, University of Nevada "This is an original new contribution to the debate on the limits of the concepts of sex and gender. Sandford questions traditional and feminist interpretations of Plato with equal power and insight, and opens a new possibility for conceptualizing human existence. This is not a request for a return to Ancient forms of thinking but a critical argument which works for the present."
Sara Heinämaa, University of Helsinki
"Sandford offers the intriguing idea that, in interpreting Plato, the categories of man and woman, male and female, are not to be construed as natural-biological ones, but as moral categories, thus explaining the evolution (or rather, devolution) of women, as inferior souls, from men, as superior souls. The study should prove a welcome addition to the intersection of various disciplines, including feminist theory, philosophy and classics."
Julie Ward, Loyola University Chicago
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements vi
Introduction 1
1 Sex and Genos (Republic) 11
2 The Origin of Sex: Aristophanes, Freud and Lacan (Symposium) 41
3 ‘Eros’ and ‘Sexuality’, Plato and Freud (Symposium) 71
4 ‘I, a Man, am Pregnant and Give Birth’ (Symposium) 98
5 Of Gods and Men: The Natural Beginning of Sex (Timaeus) 128
Coda: The Idea of ‘Sex’ 157
Notes 166
Bibliography 198
Index 207
