The Republic — Plato

session and use of women and children is to follow the path on which we originally started, when we said that the men were to be the guardians and watch-dogs of the herd. True. Let us further suppose the birth and education of our women to be subject to similar or nearly similar regulations; then we shall see whether the result accords with our design. What do you mean?

What I mean may be put into the form of a question, I said: Are dogs divided into he's and she's, or do they both share equally in hunting and in keeping watch and in the other duties of dogs ? or do we intrust to the males the entire and exclusive care of the flocks, while we leave the females at home, under the idea that the bearing and the suckling of their puppies are labor enough for them?

No, he said, they share alike ; the only difference between them is that the males are stronger and the females weaker. But can you use different animals for the same purpose, unless they are bred and fed in the same way? You cannot. Then, if women are to have the same duties as men, they must have the same nurture and education? Yes. The education which was assigned to the men was music and gymnastics. Yes.

Then women must be taught music and gymnastics and also the art of war, which they must practise like the men? That is the inference, I suppose. I should rather expect, I said, that several of our proposals, if they are carried out, being unusual, may appear ridiculous. No doubt of it.

Yes, and the most ridiculous thing of all will be the sight of women naked in the palaestra, exercising with the men, especially when they are no longer young ; they certainly will not be a vision of beauty, any more than the enthusiastic old men who, in spite of wrinkles and ugliness, continue to frequent the gymnasia. Yes, indeed, he said : according to present notions the proposal would be thought ridiculous.

But then, I said, as we have determined to speak our minds, we must not fear the jests of the wits which will be directed against this sort of innovation ; how they will talk of women's attainments, both in music and gymnastics, and above all about their wearing armor and riding upon horseback ! Very true, he replied.

Yet, having begun, we must go forward to the rough places of the law ; at the same time begging of these gentlemen for once in their life to be serious.

Not long ago, as we shall remind them, the Hellenes were of the opinion, which is still generally received among the barbarians, that the sight of a naked man was ridiculous and improper; and when first the Cretans, and then the Lacedcemonians, introduced the custom, the wits of that day might equally have ridiculed the innovation. No doubt.

But when experience showed that to let all things be uncovered was far better than to cover them up, and the ludicrous effect to the outward eye had vanished before the better principle which reason asserted, then the man was perceived to be a fool who directs the shafts of his ridicule at any other sight but that of folly and vice, or seriously inclines to weigh the beautiful by any other standard but that of the good.^ Very true, he replied.

First, then, whether the question is to be put in jest or in earnest, let us come to an understanding about the nature of woman : Is she capable of sharing either wholly or partially in the actions of men, or not at all ? And is the art of war one of those arts in which she can or cannot share? That will be the best way of commencing the inquiry, and will probably lead to the fairest conclusion. That will be much the best way.

Shall we take the other side first and begin by arguing against ourselves? in this manner the adversary's position will not be undefended. Why not ? he said. Then let us put a speech into the mouths of our opponents. They will say : " Socrates and Glaucon, no adversary need convict you, for you yourselves, at the first foundation of the * Reading with Paris A. Ka! ica^oC . . .

State, admitted the principle that everybody was to do the one work suited to his own nature. And certainly, if I am not mistaken, such an admission was made by us. " And do not the natures of men and women differ very much indeed ? " And we shall reply, Of course they do. Then we shall be asked, " Whether the tasks assigned to men and to women should not be different, and such as are agreeable to their different natures ?

" Certainly they should. " But if so, have you not fallen into a serious inconsistency in saying that men and women, whose natures are so entirely different, ought to perform the same actions? " What defence will you make for us, my good sir, against anyone who offers these objections? That is not an easy question to answer when asked suddenly ; and I shall and I do beg of you to draw out the case on our side.

These are the objections, Glaucon, and there are many others of a like kind, which I foresaw long ago ; they made me afraid and reluctant to take in hand any law about the possession and nurture of women and children. By Zeus, he said, the problem to be solved is anything but easy.

Why, yes, I said, but the fact is that v/hen a man is out of his depth, whether he has fallen into a little swimming-bath or into mid-ocean, he has to swim all the same. Very true. And must not we swim and try to reach the shore — we will hope that Arion's dolphin or some other miraculous help may save us? I suppose so, he said. Well, then, let us see if any way of escape can be found.

We acknowledged — did we not? — that different natures ought to have different pursuits, and that men's and women's natures are different. And now what are we saying? — that different natures ought to have the same pursuits — this is the inconsistency which is charged upon us. Precisely. Verily, Glaucon, I said, glorious is the power of the art of contradiction ! Why do you say so? Because I think that many a man falls into the practice against his will. When he thinks that he is reasoning he is