A reflection paper on women and political leadership , taking into account Books 5 and 6 of Plato’s
Republic.
Name: NanaAma Andoh
ID: 10828858
Course code: 401
Course title: Philosophy of Plato
Lecturer's name: M.K Okyere Asante
Date: 22nd March, 2023
The Republic is one of the most important dialogues by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, around
375BCE. This paper intends to reflect on women and political leadership taking into account books
five and six of Plato’s Republic, taking into consideration women’s education, Plato’s idea of the
philosopher King and the various analogies he uses to explains his theories and ultimately reflect on
his theories.
Book five of Plato’s Republic covers Plato’s treatment of women, children, family in the ideal state
an the beginning of his idea of the philosopher King. He enumerates the different constitutions when
Glaucon and Polemarchus interrupt and ask him to discuss sex relations and the ideal state. In the
first of several radical assertions his makes in thus section, Socrates declares that women will be
reared and trained alongside men, obtaining the same education and taking up the same political
roles. Women were prohibited from receiving education and participating in business and politics in
Athenian society so this assertion came off as a radical notion. Even though Socrates admits men and
women different natures and different natures have different pursuit, difference does not restrict
women. For example, physical strength does not restrict women from participating in society as
guardians or labourers. According to Socrates, the forms of difference and similarities( sameness) is
what is most important. Biological and physical aspect does not affect why a woman should not
rule , only the metaphysical(soul) can affect who rules. For Socrates, it is in the best interest of the
state both women and men to be as good as possible(449a - 472a).
Plato advocates for the equal education of women in book five, but it will inaccurate to think that
Plato believed in the modern notion of equality between sexes. He states emphatically that there is
a superior sex and women are inferior to all men or else diving women into three classes will make
no sense. Instead he believed that within each class there are women inferior to men. So for
example; a guardian woman will be superior to men in the other two classes but inferior to men of
their own class (471e - 472a).
For marriage and child birth in the ideal state, Socrates advice that men should hold wives and
children in common and no parent is to know his own child nor any child his parent. He also stipulate
that only specific men are to procreate. To accomplish this, the state should organize orgiastic
festivals throughout the year, where anonymous partners engage in sexual intercourse. The best of
either sex should be united with the best as often as possible and the inferior with the inferior as
seldom possible if the flock is to maintain the first rate condition. In order to succeed the breeding
program should be concealed from the guardians themselves. He suggest numerous protects,
including lotteries and other staged events to make guardians think their mating habits are being
governed by chance rather than being intelligently directed. The children of the best will be reared
by wet nurses in a different section of the society. Children of inferiors will be exposed to harm for
the good of the society. He further states that women and men who have passed the age of having
children will be free to have sex with who ever they please with the exception ; for a man, his
daughter, his mother, his daughters children and father’s ancestors and for a woman, her son and
his descendants, her father and ancestors(450b - 451e) (450e - 460d).
For Socrates, the result of his method is that everyone will regard other citizens as brothers, sisters,
mothers, fathers, daughters and sons. This would be desirable because people are inclined to treat
their family members better and less inclined to commit wrong against members than against
strangers and more inclined to care about family members well being than the well being of
strangers. This arrangement is guaranteed patriotism and a pre-emptive strike against individual
loyalties. So for a better understanding, individuals in such state will apply this beneficial sense of
kingship to all citizens rather than a few, thud a strong bond of kingship will be used to unite all
citizens towards a common end thus the highest good for the entire state. But the cause of action
Socrates lays seems impracticable. Although some cultures practice polygamy, majority do not.
Western literature is rife with sexual jealousy and one can only imagine such violent passions
frequently arising in Socrates ideal state. Further more, mothers are unlikely to part ways with their
new born immediately after birth despite benefits of universal kingship that Socrates highlights.
Nevertheless, Socrates is not bad simply because its unattainable. Socrates theory gives us an idea
towards which we can strive for perfection.
Book six is notable for Socrates eloquent defence of the true philosopher, the analogies of the sun
and the divide line are amongst the most celebrated parts of Plato’s Republic. Socrates defines a
true philosopher as a person who loves the knowledge that reveals the nature of eternal truth which
is absorbed by the pleasures of the soul and will have gentle sociable homogeneous nature. Socrates
says the philosopher King will need to have physical training to develop courage and moderation. He
also says they will also need to be trained in other subjects including the most important subjects.
He talks about the turn towards intellectual training and schooling for Guardians (503e). He says the
form of good is the greatest thing learn about and it by their relation to it that things and others
become useful and beneficial. Because it is difficult to figure out what the good is, many people are
mistaken about it(508a) (473d – 480) (503e - 508a).
Socrates becomes specific and use the apology of the apology of the ship, the sun and the lune to
explain the form of good. After objecting to Adeimantus assertion that philosophers are bad or lazy,
he responds with the analogy the ship. Socrates’ draws an analogy between a ship with a mutinous
crew and a society with rebellious citizens. The mutinous crew members of a ship violently struggle
with one another to become captain but none of them possess knowledge of navigation. The crew
considers the captain who does possess such wisdom a star gazer because the crew does not realise
that the constellation provides an excellent guide to navigate the ocean. Just as the crew ignorant of
navigation causes them to unjustly cause mutiny against the captain, so does the citizens ignorant of
statesmanship cause to unjustly mutiny against the true philosopher (488a - 489d).
Socrates explains why there are no philosopher kings, he argues that societies are not conducive to
the development of a philosopher. Public opinion corrupts the majority of citizens. For example,
when family and friends recognize the unique intellectual talents of an individual, they persuade
him to pursue an occupation that is financially profitable whether the occupation leads to the
acquirement of virtue is irrelevant. Because public opinion is very persuasive, Socrates advices that
potential philosopher kings out to endure a rigorous physical and intellectual education which
consulates in understanding of a form of the good(503e). To clarify the form of good, Socrates uses a
simile which is known in academia as simile of line. In simile of line , Socrates divides reality into two
realms, the physical and the intelligible realm. In the physical realm there are objects and there are
images of those objects. For example, a tree is an object within the physical realm and it’s reflection
of that tree in a lake is an image within the physical realm. Just as two orders of ideas exist in the
physical realm, so do two orders of ideas exist in the intelligible realm. The lower order of ideas in
the intelligible realm is composed of definitions and forms. For example, the definition of beauty,
courage and justice belonged to the category. The higher order of the intelligible realm is composed
of the forms themselves, that is beauty itself, courage itself and justice itself (509d - 511e).
According to Socrates, in the physical realm, the sun holds notable positions that shines its light on
all objects and thus enables people and other creatures to see these objects. It also gives existence
to all things. In the intelligible realm, the form of good acts like the sun, it renders the definition of
forms and the forms themselves intelligible and it also gives them existence. Socrates divides reality
into the physical realm and intelligible realm because he believes that abstract concepts exists
independently from physical phenomena. Empiricist philosophers such as John Locke and David
Hume assertion otherwise. They believe that individuals derive abstract concept from physical
phenomena.
Socrates follows up with the analogy of divine line which represents the visible world and within
them imaginative conjecture or opinions, thought or knowledge and finally understanding or reason.
Socrates defines goodness by likening the ways the son reveals the visible world to human powers of
sight to the way goodness illuminates intelligible things. Absolute goodness allows one’s intelligence
to distinguish truth. Ordinary sense cannot understand true reality, people news absolute goodness
to understand things as they truly are. The divide line clearly represents a hierarchy ranging from the
lowest to highest in terms of truth as follows, conjecture , opinion, thought or knowledge and finally
understanding or reason(533c -534).
From the above, He puts the relationship between politics and education as follows; it is the
government which must flow from education and not education front government. He gives more
importance to educate to the extent that it must produce the best of government. But what we
commonly observe is that the education system is dependent on government. It is the government
which decides how the education must be. Rather, what requires is that, education must decide who
should be governing and what should be the kind of government. Now it to contemporary times, the
word King is applicable to all rulers either democratic or not and cities as states or countries. If we
were to test our present day politicians , almost no one will fit into Plato’s idea of a philosopher King.
The major problem with Plato’s philosopher King is ; who gets to determine who the philosopher
King is or who gets to determine the criteria by which we select the philosopher King.
To conclude, book five and six of Plato’s Republic, Socrates seeks to give an idea of an his ideal state.
Even though it seemed impracticable, his theory gives an idea towards which we can strife for
perfection. He also gives an idea of the philosopher King which can be used for a standard of
leadership even though most leader especially in contemporary times will not qualify to be. And
lastly he advocates for women’s education which is rather radical considering how women were
exempt from participating in business and politics, but in contemporary times, we’ll have to admit
Socrates was ahead of his time since women have been given the opportunity at virtually they want
to participate in, being it in business or taking up political roles.
REFERENCES
John M. Cooper and D.S Hutchings eds. Plato Complete works( The Republic), Indian Cambridge,
(Hackett Publishing company Inc., 1997)
Spark notes, The Republic(summary and analysis of book v), accessed 20 March 2023,
[Link]
Spark notes, The Republic (summary and analysis of book vi ), accessed 20 th March 2023,
[Link]