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  • © 2018

Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy

Palgrave Macmillan
  • The first book to examine Stoicism from the point of view of gender
  • Brings gender from the margins into the center of philosophical inquiry, and casts new light on many familiar Stoic texts as well as may less-studied ones
  • Focuses on the intimacy of sexual relations and close human bonds, thereby challenging the traditional characterization of the Stoics as an utterly unemotional and detached

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Introduction

    • Malin Grahn-Wilder
    Pages 1-13
  3. The Body: Gender From Generation to Decoration

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15
    2. The Origin of Gender: Myths and Biology

      • Malin Grahn-Wilder
      Pages 17-58
    3. The Metaphysical Insignificance of Gender

      • Malin Grahn-Wilder
      Pages 75-99
  4. Character: Education of Gender and Therapy of Sexuality

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 135-135
  5. Community: Marriage, Family, and Human Bonding

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 217-217
    2. Gender and Stoic Cosmopolitanism

      • Malin Grahn-Wilder
      Pages 277-285
    3. Conclusion

      • Malin Grahn-Wilder
      Pages 287-294
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 295-307

About this book

This book investigates the Ancient Stoic thinkers’ views on gender and sexuality. A detailed scrutiny of metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy reveals that the Stoic philosophers held an exceptionally equal view of men and women’s rational capacities.  In its own time, Stoicism was frequently called ‘ the manly school’ of philosophy, but this volume shows that the Stoics would have also transformed many traditional notions of masculinity. Malin Grahn-Wilder compares the earlier philosophies of Plato and Aristotle to show that the Stoic position often stands out within Ancient philosophy as an exceptionally bold defense of women’s possibilities to achieve the highest form of wisdom and happiness. The work argues that the Stoic metaphysical notion of human being is based on strikingly egalitarian premises, and opens new perspectives to Stoic philosophy on the whole.


Reviews

“Malin Grahn-Wilder's Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy is an excellent book that provides an even better reason to teach the ancient Stoics. … This is a book that students in philosophy, classics, history, literature, sociology, and religious studies could read, and each would find it useful and enjoyable. Malin Grahn-Wilder has done a huge favor to all of us who teach ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.” (David O'Hara, Hypatia Reviews Online, 2020) “Malin Grahn-Wilder's Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy brings together Stoic ideas on gender and sexuality in biology and metaphysics, and relates them brilliantly to their positions on living well and on personal self-presentation. In the course of this we find fresh thoughts about a wide range of Stoic topics such as erotic love, the sage, education and cosmopolitanism. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Stoicism and ancient philosophy, as well as feminism and gender studies.” (Julia Annas, University of Arizona, USA)

“One of Grahn-Wilder's accomplishments is to follow her chosen thematic not only through various central areas of philosophy, but also within Stoic understanding of the every-day life and human existence, approaching even those with a philosophical mind. She weaves a rich, connected whole from sources both generally recognized as significant, as well as those from the surface more marginal.” (Pauliina Remes, Uppsala University, Sweden)

Authors and Affiliations

  • New York, USA

    Malin Grahn-Wilder

About the author

Malin Grahn-Wilder is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä and a teacher of gender studies at the University of Helsinki. She worked on this book while she was a visiting scholar at the Columbia University in the City of New York in 2016. She has formerly published articles on Ancient philosophy and gender in several anthologies, and she also works professionally as a dancer and dance educator.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy

  • Authors: Malin Grahn-Wilder

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53694-1

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-53693-4Published: 02 March 2018

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-09608-3Published: 19 December 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-53694-1Published: 21 February 2018

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 307

  • Topics: Feminism, Gender Studies, Religion and Gender

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 24.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 32.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access