One could go on endlessly about what the ancients have done for us, but one of the most interesting things is that Plato could be said to have invented women’s lib, though it seems to have taken 2,500 years to catch on.
Since most ancient states were at war much of the time, putting the male population especially at risk, women had to commit to the production line as soon as possible if the state were to survive. But Socrates, in Plato’s dialogue The Republic, portrays a utopia in which women shared the same status as men.
The ruling class of this state are called Guardians and Plato likens them to dogs hunting and protecting the flock, an activity in which female dogs engage just as much as male dogs (though the males are stronger). So, by analogy, says Plato, if our education programme produces male Guardians, it should produce female Guardians too, since the same education should have the same results.
But then comes an objection. Are not some people innately suited to some kinds of jobs, and females in that respect innately different from males? Possibly, says Socrates. ‘But if the only difference turns out to be that females bear offspring while males mount females, that does not have any bearing on their suitability for the Guardians’ jobs that we have in mind (e.g. ruling the city wisely, defending it against threats and so on). The question is: is there any evidence that for some professions or occupations there are innate differences between men and women?’
None at all, Socrates goes on. It may be taken for granted that men do everything better than women, but there are ‘no jobs which belong to men qua men or women qua women. Innate qualities have been distributed equally between the two sexes, and women, though physically weaker, can join in every occupation just as much as men.’ People may be differently inclined, of course, but inclination has nothing to do with innate ability.
Conclusion: ‘Women and men have the same natural ability for being Guardians of a community.’ It is simply a matter of education.
But Plato also wanted communal living and communal children for the Guardians. Too high a price to pay?
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