Tentative answer: Plato and Aristotle on the role of women (for David S)

Plato and Aristotle on the role of women

Aristotle maintains a more traditional view of women compared to Plato. Aristotle expresses that men are superior to women and what their places are “Moreover, the relation of male to female is that of natural superior to inferior, and that of ruler to ruled” (8). Aristotle notes women’s place in Greek society “For free rule slaves, male rules female, and man rules child in different ways, because while the parts of the soul are present in all of these people, they are present in different ways. The deliberate part of the soul is entirely missing from a SLAVE; a WOMAN has it but it lacks authority; a child has it but it is incompletely developed.” (23). At first Aristotle notes that “Among non-Greeks however, a WOMAN and a slave occupy the same position” (2). Aristotle expresses that his (Greek) culture differs from other cultures in that women have more rights. Aristotle’s main point is that women are only marginally better than slaves. Aristotle follows by explaining household roles in the context of a clear dominant role and submissive role. He begins by explaining the master-slave relationship. He starts by offering women’s role in the household he concludes “for we have no word to describe the union of woman and man” (5). Aristotle infers that this relation shouldn’t be synonymous with slavery but he doesn’t have an accurate word to describe it. “For a man, unless he is contrary to nature is naturally more fitted to rule than a female, and someone older and completely developed is naturally more fitted to lead than someone younger and incompletely developed.” (21) Aristotle differs from Plato in that he seems to believe women are inherently inferior to men.

Plato main point is that “…there has been no kind of proof that women are different from men with respect to what we’re talking about, and we’ll continue to believe that our guardians and their wives must have the same way of life” (128). Plato differs from Aristotle in that he believes in greater equality and that by nature apart from physical strength there is no difference between the sexes. Plato notes “Everything should be in common, except that the females are weaker and the males are stronger” (125). Plato’s makes the argument access to education holds women back from their potential which is equal to that of men. Plato expresses “offices are open to both sexes” (134). This belief stems from the gender binary coming from the same place in nature “…a male and female doctor have souls of the same nature. Or don’t you think so?” (128).

The common factor is that both believe women are inferior to men by nature. The difference lies in that Plato sees women as only physically inferior as Aristotle sees women as by nature inferior of performing any craft.  Plato would argue women have all the same innate rights and talents men do and are limited only by their physical strength. Aristotle has a different view of women. In Aristotle’s discussion of women –they are to be ruled, and are just a step up from slavery.