Ban Zhao and the question of female philosophy in China

Abstract

This article begins with an introduction to the general problems of women and philosophy and shows that female philosophical theorists worldwide still stand in the shadow of their male colleagues, regardless of where they live, their theoretical potential and the value of their research. Then, the article focuses upon the situation in China. The author considers and analyses some systemic problems related to the position and significance of women philosophers in the history of Chinese philosophy. The study challenges traditional views of this problem and argues that in this context we have to differentiate between classical discourses and later ideologies that openly promoted the inferior position of women in society. Through an analysis of the works of Ban Zhao (45 – 117 BCE), the first influential female thinker in Chinese intellectual history, the author also aims to expose the contradiction between dominant patriarchal conventions on the one hand and latent, often hidden criticism of gender relations in women’s writing in traditional China, on the other.

Keywords

Kitajska filozofija;ženska filozofija;Ban Zhao;študije spolov;Chinese philosophy;female philosophy;gender studies;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2020
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FF - Faculty of Arts
UDC:	1(510)
COBISS:	40931075
ISSN:	2585-8793
Views:	404
Downloads:	62
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	kitajska filozofija;ženska filozofija;Ban Zhao;študije spolov;
Type (COBISS):	Article
Pages:	str. 239-260
Volume:	ǂVol. ǂ29
Issue:	ǂno. ǂ2
Chronology:	2020
ID:	12548716