Plato's views on the place of women in the ideal state clarify its understanding of the relationships as biological and cultural, as well as private and public.
In his work "Republic" which is considered his major work, Plato expands upon the equality of women and men. This is particularly noteworthy if we take into account the situation of women in contemporary Greek society.
Thus, in ancient Greece, women could not even leave their homes without the permission of their husbands specifically they were not admitted to any meeting or event. Women in antiquity were completely excluded from direct or active participation in public life. Wives for Greek men were just superior to handmaidens. Their main occupation was keeping track of how the slaves work and, sometimes, taking part in activities such as - to cook, weave, sew, wash clothes. Bringing up their sons until they reached 7 and were then sent to boarding school. Daughters stayed with their mother until marriage, so she could prepare them for the role of housewife. The wife did not know her husband's friends, she never took part in feasts. Instead, her husband was accompanied by his mistresses.
Spartan women had some freedom from male domination. For example, their education did not differ from the education of boys, and they had the right to own property. The outright power of man had been replaced in Sparta by very real state control. On Lesbos marriage gave women the opportunity to join Society with equal rights with men, women could compete with men in the arts. However, ancient Greeks believed that love for a woman - it's just a disease.
Plato's position is because he interpreted the biological differences between the sexes as insignificant in relation to what socially sees as useful interrelation to the tasks a person can perform. The fact that a woman gives birth to children, does not justify the distinction based on gender division of labor in which women are engaged only in housework, and men performing public duties.
The philosopher develops the idea that friends should have everything in common, including women and children. He admits that it is difficult, but does not consider them to be insurmountable. First, girls should receive exactly the same education as boys, studying music, gymnastics, and martial arts. Women should have in all respects complete equality with men. Equal education, which makes men and women good guardians of the state. "In regard to the protection of the state the nature of women and men are the same" Undoubtedly, differences between men and women exist, but they do not have anything to do with politics. Some women lean towards the philosophy and some of women were warlike and could be a good soldier.
Legislators elected to serve as guards ordered both sexes to live in common houses and eat at the same table. Marriage, as we already know, will be radically transformed. Procreation was an end to the means of maintaining constant population, but, in fact, the rulers of the city manipulated the populous, based on eugenic principles. They arranged that the most intelligent and successful families have the most children. Everything is subordinated to the purpose of obtaining healthy offspring. State makes it so that the best come together with the best and the worst with the worst. All children were removed from their parents after their birth and precautions were taken to ensure that parents did not know their children and children did not know who their parents were. Children with disabilities and children the least successful parents were hidden in secret and excluded from society. Children born of unions not sanctioned by the state were considered illegal. Mothers were between the ages of twenty to forty years, fathers - from twenty-five to fifty-five. Beyond this age, communication between the sexes should be free, but forced abortion or infanticide was practiced and organized by the government, with no right of the husband or wife to object, they must be guided by the thought of his duty to the state, and not any mediocre feelings that were usually praised exiled poets.
Because the child does not know who his parents are, all men were called "father" every man whose age could mean he could be a father to him; this also applied to "mother", "brother" and"sister". There can be no marriage between the "father" and "daughter" or "mother" and "son." In general (but not absolute) marriages between "brother" and "sister" should not be allowed.
All of these women should be common to all of these men, none of them should live monogamously.
It is assumed that the feelings we associated with the words "father", "mother", "son" and "daughter" will still hold their historical sentiment with them and with the new order established by Plato; for example, the young man will not beat the old man, because this old man could be his father.
The basic idea is, of course, is to minimize the sense of private property and thus eliminate the obstacles standing in the way of domination of the spirit of the public, as well as provide a tacit agreement with the absence of private property. These motives were largely of the same kind as the motives that led to the celibacy of the clergy.
In an ideal state, Plato draws a model which, given women a place where they had in ancient Greece. According to Plato, not only should women receive equal education with men in gymnastics and military training, to perform equal work with men, even in a purely male occupation such as guardians of the state. In an ideal state where there is no family, Plato includes women of the ruling elite. He justifies his position, noting that sex differences apply only to that being of female and giving birth, male fertility was are not included in the essential definition of man. The same natural qualities found in both sexes and by nature, women and men can participate in all cases.
On this basis, Plato can be considered as one of the first advocates of gender equality. Speaking against the customs and morals of his time, Plato advocated equal educational opportunities for boys and girls, equal opportunities for everyone to practice the profession for which he is best suited and take a position corresponding to his abilities. He also advocated for equal opportunities for social interaction, equal for all legal and political rights, equal rights to property and the choice of a partner in the sense that the property and monogamous sexual relationships were forbidden for women and men belonging to the two higher classes. Of course, this does not mean that Plato operated with the concept of universal individual rights, these rights are determined by the place of man in the community.
According to Plato, man is primarily a spiritual being - and reasonable policy. In his views on human biological occupies a subordinate place. That's why it does not support the division of labor and hierarchy based on biological differences. This raises a natural question: why can not women engage in public activities as well as men?
Of course, such an image of Plato as a theorist of equal rights is rather arbitrary. In his works, there is also typical thinking of his time, expressing dismissive assessment of women compared with men (where he treats women as a source of socially dangerous vices). However, the nature of women throughout weaker than men and this affects their character. Because of the weakness of feminine wiles and prone to fraud.
Based on the statements of Plato ambiguity when discussing relations between the sexes, an existing member of the view that Plato wary of women and the functions they perform in society, giving birth to children and engaged in looking after them. Here, in the field of reproduction and socialization a leading place belongs to nature and privacy. This area is outside of rational control. That is why this area should be brought under control. Public life should be all-encompassing, and private life should actually be banned. Therefore, there shall be no private property, no monogamous relationships and no relationship between parents and their children by blood. Everything must be shared and have a public character. In this sense, Plato cannot be considered as a supporter of feminism. It is true that it grants equal rights to men and women, but that was just because it eliminates the traditional female occupations. In fact, Plato debunks women as uncontrolled and uncontrollable factors in the education of children and youth in the private sphere.
It is obvious that Plato gave priority to public life over private, the mind and the formation of a biological nature.
Plato's views of equality are democratic in nature. The ideal state, according to Plato, is the mediator between the cosmos and the human soul. It follows the principle of division of labor, equalizing the rights of women and men, sets the rulers and warriors community of property, wives and children, overcoming the division between rich and poor, brings to the top of government wisest and noblest of aristocrats, philosophers. Allocation women the same basic abilities inherent in men, philosopher assigns them to the same social roles that both men avoiding the question of the physiological differences between the sexes. Thus, he believes that "democracy is created when men and women to equalize civil rights and obligations" Philosopher portrayed as the most promising way of democracy, who does not have a certain control. Equality, according to Plato, one of the main features of democracy, which is formed only in the final to share the same rights to all citizens.
In any case, Plato was the first European thinkers who managed to turn away from the age-old prejudices and become the highest point of view from which woman becomes important human being. The ideal was high - so high that needed a number of centuries to become the province of all mankind and could come close to realization.
Cited Works
Web. 30 Nov. 2014. <http://www.inp.uw.edu.pl/mdsie/Political_Thought/Plato-Republic.pdf>.
