Plato's Republic

4 Pages 1053 Words

Plato’s Republic

Philosophers, economists, and novelists have written on the subject of the “perfect society” since the beginning of time. Theories vary greatly, yet some are surprisingly similar. During the late fifth century B.C.E., one of the most influential writers in Western society was Plato, an Athenian philosopher and teacher. Many aspects of modern Totalitarianism and Egalitarianism can clearly be seen in Plato’s Republic. “ If woman are to have the same duties as men, they must have the same nurture and education;” in this manner Plato promotes equal education for all members of a nation, in order to achieve maximum productivity from society. Plato discusses the importance of equality of the sexes and specialized education to the stability and prosperity of the civilization in his dialogue.
During Plato’s time, sexual equality in Athens, as well as equality in general, was an unthinkable concept. Men were thought to be superior in most tasks and were treated appropriately by society. “Full citizenship in Greece was normally confined to adult male landowners,” which excluded a large portion of society that consisted of women, plebs, (common people), slaves and those men who were free but did not own any land. Plato argued for the equality of the sexes on the basis of everyone’s unique contribution to society. “Are dogs divided into hes and shes, or do they both share equally in hunting.” Plato observes the superior physical ability and endurance of men, which separates the two different sexes. Women’s duties were confined to the house and the nursing of offspring, while the men carried out all other duties. Plato goes on to say that, “Men and women alike posses the qualities which make a guardian; they differ only in their comparative strength or weakness.” He also points out that not every aspect of society is centered on physical strength and endurance. Asserting that the gifts...