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Taking A Look At Plato's Republic

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Plato’s Republic explores a significant notion of Western philosophy regarding the definition of justice. Through the character of Socrates, Plato is able to begin his description of justice with an analogy of the ideal city referred to as Kallipolis, the Greek term for “noble city” (Reeve xiii), which is ruled by philosophers, the wisest and virtuous of individuals. However, one central argument of the Republic revolves around the perception that women are equally suited to become rulers of the city when provided with equivalent education and training opportunities as men. Although this proposition may have been perceived as radical during the fourth century BC when patriarchal Athens was at the height of its democracy, Plato is able to vindicate …show more content…

This notion concerns the requirement that each individual must execute a role in society of which his or her nature is most suited for (Rep: II, 374e). The three primary roles identified include producers who carry out the day to day functions of society, auxiliaries who defend the city, and guardians who rule the city (Rep: III, 414b). Specialization becomes a foundational principle of virtue which Plato acknowledges as the source of justice in a state. It becomes evident that women are also incorporated under this general formula when Socrates explains to Glaucon that guardians are the best citizens in society without mention of any masculine figures (Rep: III, 412c). This depicts Plato’s theory of virtue as …show more content…

In order to become virtuous, men and women must carry out their roles that are best suited for their nature. If their nature adheres to that of guardians, both men and women must partake in the management of the city including jury duty and policy making (Mawhinney: Defense of Justice, Oct 1). Consequently, in order for both genders to be virtuous and to take up parallel political roles, they must be educated and reared in parallel ways. For Plato, both men and women must be taught the same course of studies listed in Book VI including dialect and mathematics in order to become

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