Plato Women

The “Republic” is divided into ten books and was written approximately around 380 B.C. Although written by Plato, it is Socrates that Plato uses to narrate the entire text. The “Republic” is about justice and how to attain justice in an ideal society. In the text Plato explains his designs of a superior society in which Guardians, or philosopher-kings, are the rulers. While Plato describes the virtues of his Guardians he includes women in his ideas. In Plato’s time his thoughts about women being equal to men were radical and could even be dangerous. Women’s roles at that time in history were to breed and take care of her family and husband. However Plato saw female roles in the world in a new and provocative manner. The Fundamental Cultural

In the “Republic” Plato explains that for society to have equal leadership between the sexes women need to be taught the same things as the men. “…if we are to set women to the same tasks as men, we must teach them the same things” (CWT p.336). At this time in ancient Greece the education of women is next to nil. Plato is stepping out of the social norms of the time to explain what is needed for an ideal society. Plato knows that to be successful women need to be trained and educated in the same way as

The achievements we have made in the 20th century are leaps and bounds from where women were. For example, in traditional male professions such as construction, oil & gas, or engineering, women are making their presence known. This is what Plato was fighting for, the fight to be considered equal to men. True feminists are not saying that we are above men, but that we are equal to them. No special concessions are needed; women only need to be treated as equals. “The practice we proposed to establish was not impossible or visionary, since it was in accordance with nature” (CWT p.339). The fight to be equal among men in all aspects of life is a woman’s cross to