Plato
The Republic
“What was all that about having wives in common?”
ang on! What did you mean earlier, Socrates, about the Guardians having wives and children in common? (Part 4) Can we get this sorted out before we go any further? ( in fact they don't get back on to bad communities until Part 9).
Women
The only difference between men and women is biological - men beget children and women bear them. Both sexes can thus do the same jobs - although men will usually be better at them! Thus they should have the same education and the same opportunities. These ideas weren't unique to Plato - Aristophanes had already mocked them in his comedy Assemblywomen.
Children
More details about arrangements for children - the family, as we already know, is to be abolished for the Guardians. There's some rather unclear information about promotion and demotion of children born into the wrong class - and also about infanticide. The intention is eugenic - as with farm animals - to produce the best possible offspring. This section concludes with some more remarks about the ideal polis that they've created - the best state is one which most nearly resembles an individual - as many people as possible will use the expressions "mine" and "not mine" about the same things.
War
Logically, therefore men and women will both go to war - and children must be familiarized with it it. War is thus seen as a wholly natural part of human activity - but it should be employed wherever possible against non-Greeks (barbaroi). Greeks are natural 'friends' as barbaroi are natural enemies. If Greeks do fight Greeks there should be rules to avoid uncivilized behaviour.
Could it all actually work, Socrates? ![[Next Page?]](next.gif)