Classical Philosophical Views On The Essence Of A Woman: The Experience Of Reflection In The Context Of Power

Since the 2000's, the issue of gender ratio in the Russian establishment and the participation and role of women in public life have been one of the most controversial issues in the scientific community. Researchers are predominantly inclined to identify characteristics that indicate discriminatory practices or various forms of asymmetry in the space of power with reference primarily to the historically preserved views of the classics of philosophy on the nature of the “feminine”, which reflect the deep-rooted traditions of the subordinate position of representatives of the fairer sex due to the insufficiency of rational nature compared to a man. Based on a philosophical and cultural analysis of the philosophical ideas and views of antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Modern Age, the article attempts to identify the most adequate representation of ideas about a woman in various manifestations of her essence, functions, and social status. According to the author of this article, a philosophical and cultural approach, based on the etymological and semantic specificity of vocabulary inherent in a particular period, is necessary to identify the dialectical nature of ideas about “feminine”, reflecting the characteristics of society’s cultural consciousness and the ongoing processes and relationships in sociocultural reality.