Plato and Aristotle on women

[Armenian Bishop]

There're certain sex related abilities that help men take a commanding leadership position. For example: A man's deeper bass or tenor voice gives him innate abilities to project oratorical skills, with natural force, and less exertion.

On the other hand, women possess their own leadership attributes; perhaps, more successful with multitasking. Joan of Arc is a good example of a woman (or girl) who took a commanding position as a leader of the French war effort, in the Hundred Years War. She was a very charismatic leader, and commander.

[catgeorge]

This is an intense topic that is easily taken out of context on natural law. Based on natural law they are correct in every way...

Plato

the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the female subject.

Firstly we should make clear that at no point does Plato deny that there are differences between the two sexes - his ideas on equality lie solely in the nature of humans. He does not pretend that women are as physically capable as men, nor does he deny that women are better at tasks like weaving. He does not say, though, that one could not be better than the other if they'd had the same training. And this is precisely his main argument in the Republic - that given the same training, education and opportunities, suitable women could be equally suited to the position of guardian as their male counterparts.

Plato informs us that women are physically weaker than men, yet he implies that this is not a sufficient reason to prevent women from being trained in warfare. In his Laws he mentions women from Pontus who are trained in weapons, so he can hardly be saying women are incapable of learning these arts, even if they may not be quite as good at them as men. However he does believe that even if women are trained the same as the men, it would be better for them to do the easier tasks.


Aristotle in Oikonomikos

Therefore, it befits not a man of sound mind to bestow his person promiscuously, or have random intercourse with women; for otherwise the base-born will share in the rights of his lawful children, and his wife will be robbed of her honor due, and shame be attached to his sons. And it is fitting that he should approach his wife in honor, full of self-restraint and awe; and in his conversation with her, should use only the words of a right-minded man, suggesting only such acts as are themselves lawful and honorable.

(Aristotle's thought that a wife was best honored when she saw that her husband was faithful to her, and that he had no preference for another woman; but before all others loves, trusts her and holds her as his own. Aristotle wrote that a husband should secure the agreement, loyalty, and devotion of his wife, so that whether he himself is present or not, there may be no difference in her attitude towards him, since she realizes that they are alike guardians of the common interests; and so when he is away she may feel that to her no man is kinder or more virtuous or more truly hers than her own husband.)

And what could be more divine than this, or more desired by a man of sound mind, than to beget by a noble and honored wife children who shall be the most loyal supporters and discreet guardians of their parents in old age, and the preservers of the whole house? Rightly reared by father and mother, children will grow up virtuous, as those who have treated them piously and righteously deserve that they should.

( Aristotle believed we all have a biological drive to procreate, to leave behind something to take the place and be similar to ourselves. This then justifies the natural partnership between man and woman. And each person has one specific purpose because we are better at mastering one specific trait rather than being adequate at multiple. Women's purpose, it seems he believes, is to birth children. Aristotle stressed that man and woman work together to raise the children and that how they raise them has a huge influence over the kind of people they become and thus the kind of society or community that everyone lives in.)