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Essay / DIFFERENT VISIONS OF PHILOSOPHERS ON MAN AND GENDER - 1241
In this thesis, I will consider three philosophers, one from Antiquity, one from recent times and an oriental philosopher. These philosophers are Aristotle, Simone de Beauvoir and Laozi. First, I will present their philosophy, focusing on their views on gender and gender roles. I will then discuss what influenced their opinions on the topics. I will especially focus on the philosophers Simone de Beauvoir because she had a great impact on modern-day feminist thought, and on Aristotle because her philosophy has shaped European philosophy in recent times. Aristotle lived from 384 to 322 BCE. and is a famous figure in Greek philosophy. He was a student of Plato, who in turn was a student of Socrates. Aristotle's view of people and all living beings was that their goal was to realize the possibilities one possesses and thus become part of the greater whole. For people, it was about developing skills, called virtues, to be happy. Aristotle used biological differences to justify social differences between the sexes. Aristotle believed that women were weaker than men, both mentally and physically. This thinking is also reflected in his perception of gender roles. He considered women inferior in matters of procreation since it was the man who provided the semen. He claimed that in the man's sexual cells, the new individual was ready and only needed a woman to grow. Aristotle's views on women and men influenced later times and the idea that women have a passive and independent role in society and in the family is central to today. Simone de Beauvoir lived from 1908 to 1986 and was a philosopher, writer and feminist. Above all, she had an existentialist vision of man. Man is defined with...... middle of article ......as liberation has been an important aspect of the activities of several philosophers, which is reflected in the philosophy and outlook of the genre of Beauvoir to the extent that if women are liberated, men will also be liberated. Laozi broke with the traditional way of thinking that women were inferior to men in China. He may have been influenced by Siddharta Gautama and Buddhism, which fundamentally believed that all human beings were equal, regardless of gender, race, and social status. Lao Tzu may have been influenced by this idea of men and women being equal, and linked it to the concept of yin and yang. As there have been many different systems of thought in Eastern philosophy, it is likely that Lao Tzu was influenced by: among others, Buddhism and Confucianism, while Laozi's Taoism in turn influenced them. In this way, the different philosophies may have influenced each other..