Not long ago, as we shall re-
mind 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 Lacedaemonians, introduced the custom,
the wits of that day might equally have ridiculed the innova-
tion.
No doubt.
But when experience showed that to let all things be un-
covered was far better than to cover them up, and the ludicrous
effect to the outward eye had vanished before the better princi-
ple 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 beauti-
ful 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
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 differ-
ent 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 per-
form 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 when 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 inconsist-
ency 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
really disputing, just because he cannot define and divide, and
so know that of which he is speaking; and he will pursue a
merely verbal opposition in the spirit of contention and not of
fair discussion.
Yes, he replied, such is very often the case; but what has
that to do with us and our argument?
A great deal; for there is certainly a danger of our getting
unintentionally into a verbal opposition.
In what way?
Why we valiantly and pugnaciously insist upon the verbal
truth, that different natures ought to have different pursuits,
but we never considered at all what was the meaning of same-
ness or difference of nature, or why we distinguished them
when we assigned different pursuits to different natures and
the same to the same natures.
Why, no, he said, that was never considered by us.
I said: Suppose that by way of illustration we were to ask
the question whether there is not an opposition in nature be-
tween bald men and hairy men; and if this is admitted by us,
then, if bald men are cobblers, we should forbid the hairy men
to be cobblers, and conversely?
That would be a jest, he said.
Yes, I said, a jest; and why? because we never meant when
we constructed the State, that the opposition of natures should
extend to every difference, but only to those differences which
affected the pursuit in which the individual is engaged; we
should have argued, for example, that a physician and one who
is in mind a physician may be said to have the same nature.
True.
Whereas the physician and the carpenter have different
natures?
Certainly.
And if, I said, the male and female sex appear to differ in
their fitness for any art or pursuit, we should say that such
pursuit or art ought to be assigned to one or the other of them;
but if the difference consists only in women bearing and men
begetting children, this does not amount to a proof that a
woman differs from a man in respect of the sort of education
she should receive; and we shall therefore continue to main-
tain that our guardians and their wives ought to have the same
pursuits.
Very true, he said.
Next, we shall ask our opponent how, in reference to any
of the pursuits or arts of civic life, the nature of a woman dif-
fers from that of a man?
That will be quite fair.
And perhaps he, like yourself, will reply that to give a suffi-
cient answer on the instant is not easy; but after a little reflec-
tion there is no difficulty.
Yes, perhaps.
Suppose then that we invite him to accompany us in the
argument, and then we may hope to show him that there is
nothing peculiar in the constitution of women which would
affect them in the administration of the State.
By all means.
Let us say to him: Come now, and we will ask you a ques-
tion: When you spoke of a nature gifted or not gifted in any
respect, did you mean to say that one man will acquire a thing
easily, another with difficulty; a little learning will lead the one