Aristotle- Philosophy On Male and Female

Kaley Rose

Mrs. Wilhelmus

Ap English Lit

12 June 2013

Prompt Two- Philosophy on Male and Female

         While reading through Aristotle's views on women I was rather dismayed on how he felt about females. Aristotle's statement "A women is an unfinished man," was rather unfair to me. I have always learned throughout history that females where never really treated equally to men until our time now. After reading, I never really understood why Aristotle felt this way about females. On the other hand, Plato had complete opposite thoughts on females and was Aristotle's teacher. What made Aristotle think differently than his teacher? What Aristotle think the complete opposite of Plato's views? Overall, Aristotle's views on women seemed very unfair to me. What evidence did Aristotle have to make him say, "A women is an "unfinished man?"

         In my opinon, Plato provides the best answer's to the questions about gender. Plato is very postive about women and their role in the society and backed his statments with significant thought and reason. Plato philosophized completley different with Aristotle's view on women. Plato seemed to make both sexes equal in believing that, " Women could govern just as effectively as men for the simple reason that the rulers govern by virtue of their reason." I completley agree with this statement and with Plato's argument on females. Plato also said, "Women have exactly the same powers of reasoning as men, provided they get the same training and are exempt from child rearing and housekeeping." Both these statments are backed up with logical reasoing. Overall I feel that Plato did the best to answer questions about man and women.

         Throughout the book, I began to realize many philosophers sided with Aristotles views. For examle, Aquinas, believed that children only inherit the father's characteristics as Aristotle also believed this as well. He believed this since it harmonized with the Bible's message, which tells us that women was made out of Adam's rib. I agree that women was made out of Adam's rib since I believe that was how man and women where made. However, I side with Plato's thought that women can have the same reason as men if woman are given the chance to.

         Throughout reading about different philosophers and leaders it was not hard to realize that all of them where men. This did not astonish me, because I know many women back in the day worked in the house cooking and sewing. Many females did not get to learn or even think about becoming a philosopher or some kind of authoritator. Aristotle influenced the citizens of believing this view on women, that it stuck in that society. Overall, the fact that most of the vast majority of the authorities was not a major shock to me. On the other hand, if people sided with Pluto's philospophy about the sexes, there might have been just as many women leaders as their where male authorites throughout this book.

Kaley Rose

Mrs. Wilhelmus

Ap English Lit

11 June 2013

Prompt one- "Who are you?" and "Where does this World come from"

If someone asked me, "Who I am?" I would start off with major traits and characteristics in which I think fulfill my own character and personality the best. I am an athlete, who loves sports and pushing myself to be the best athlete I can be. I am a student, who always enjoys learning different things from anything to science, math and to English and literature. I love challenging myself in learning new things in each of these subjects, in hopes in one day to become an intelligent human being. I am athletic, intellectual, enthusiastic, and outgoing. I feel like all those traits help define me on who I am.

Another way I would desrcibe who I am would to tell about the background on who I am. My name is Kaley May Rose. I am fifteen years old, and attend North High School. I am going to be a Junior and I play softball and basketball. I was born in Cincinnatti, Ohio and lived in many places including Tennessee and Texas. I moved to Evansville, Indiana at the age of thirteen and plan on staying here throughout my high school career. People describe who they are in many different forms.

I have lived in many places and moved a lot. I feel like living in different places can help define who you are too. Someone who lives in one place only experiences what people are like and what it is like to live only in that specific place. But, if you move you get to experience different kinds of people and different enviroments. I feel like this is a big factor on who you are but that is only my opinion.

In Sophie's World, Sophie asks the question, "What if I have been given a different name?" and if she would have been given a different name, "Would she then have been someone else?" This is a rather interesting question to me, because my parents have told me before how they where going to name me "Zoey". Thinking about my name being Zoey seems rather strange but I honestly do not think that your name decides on who you are. What I really think matters is your actual characteristics, traits, and bakground that shapes your own unique personality and who you are.

If somone asked me, "Where does the world come from?" I would simply tell them my own beliefs. Being raised as a child all the way up to now, I was always taught that we came from God our creator but, in school I learned other beliefs that contradict my own belief. For example the story of Evolution and the Big Bang Theory. After reading the first chapter it had my mind racing with many thoughts that Sophie had said. For example, Sophie said "Had God created himself out of nothing?" "Who created God?" These two questions had my mind wondering, but in the end I will side with my own belief and the only possibility left that God has always existed. That statement is so interesting because you can ask the question, "How could he always exist?" but this is what makes the world so interesting. Other people believe in the science factors which contradicts our religion but this just also makes who we are.

In conclusion, I believe who we are is affected by our own characteristics, traits, and personality that make up our own unique personality. I do not believe in our names being a factor on that, but other people might. I also believe that we where made from God, but others believe in differents things. In the end, these two questions will always be interpretated differently from different people but that is what makes these two questions so interesting.