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Series:   Elements on Women in the History of Philosophy

Platonist Women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2025

Crystal Addey
Crystal Addey
Affiliation:
University College Cork

Summary

This Element examines the roles and activities of women and their contributions to the Platonic tradition from Plato's time-fourth century BCE- through to the sixth century CE. Drawing on recent research on female agency, gender studies and the connections between ancient philosophy and religious traditions, this Element re-assesses the multi-faceted roles of women within Platonism. Methodologically, any assessment of ancient women philosophers must consider the contexts of the production, transmission and (partial) survival of the range of evidence attesting to their activities, and the historical minimisation or elision of women's intellectual contributions within the western philosophical tradition, science and the academy. As such, this Element argues that the existing evidence allows us to glimpse a much wider pattern of female philosophical and intellectual activity within the Platonic tradition and that we should be careful not to underestimate or minimise the significance of ancient women within the history of Platonism.
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Keywords

Platonist womenMiddle Platonist womenNeoplatonist womenfemale philosophersphilosopher-priestesses

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Element
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Series: Elements on Women in the History of Philosophy
Online ISBN: 9781009158893
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 31 August 2025

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Platonist Women
  • Crystal Addey, University College Cork
  • Online ISBN: 9781009158893
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Platonist Women
  • Crystal Addey, University College Cork
  • Online ISBN: 9781009158893
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Platonist Women
  • Crystal Addey, University College Cork
  • Online ISBN: 9781009158893
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