Ummmm...

Texas A&M blocks readings on #gender ideology in #philosophy class: ‘#Plato has been #censored’

Martin Peterson was told to remove race and gender ideology modules and affiliated readings from the celebrated classical Greek philosopher from his “Contemporary Moral Issues” class

By Samantha Ketterer, Staff WriterJan 7, 2026

"[Peterson] said he also assigns a few passages from Plato, including #Aristophanes’ myth of the split humans and #Diotima’s #LadderOfLove. In those, Plato says there are more than two biological sexes and displays a positive view of #homosexuality."

Read more:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/tamu-philosophy-plato-ban-race-gender-rule-21280052.php

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LiA44

#Censorship #Texas #Fascism #AncientPhilsophers #History #GBLTQRights #WeExist!

The suggestion that Diotima in the "Symposium"* is based on a real historical figure tickled my curiosity, but what matters more for me is going back to the Plato with this commentary:

>>The ‘truth about love’ that emerges is neither purely abstract nor entirely concrete, but rather a recognition that love operates as a transformative force across multiple domains – physical, ethical and intellectual. Diotima’s ladder represents not a rejection of physical love in favour of abstract contemplation, but a developmental account of how erotic energy can be progressively refined and redirected toward increasingly comprehensive objects of desire, culminating in wisdom. <<

*How I wish Mastodon allowed italics, bold, and underlining!

https://aeon.co/essays/meet-the-woman-who-initiated-socrates-in-the-philosophy-of-love

#Philosophy #Love #Symposium #Plato #Diotima #Aspasia #ArmandDAngour #Mastodon

@Marie_H @ElisabethK

Als Begründer der #Philosophie des Dialoges gilt #Sokrates - ein ehemaliger Soldat, der auch Frauen wie #Diotima als Lehrende rühmte, barfuss durch #Athen wanderte und im Gegensatz zu den #Sophisten kein Geld für seine Dialoge annahm.

Erst nach seiner Hinrichtung begründete sein teilweise abtrünniger Schüler #Platon die Institution der philosophischen #Akademie.

Bin hier als dialogischer Monist, Christ & Demokrat klar #TeamSokrates ! 🤓📚🙏☕️