o's Republic is ambiguous and inconsistent in its treatment of woman; misogynist content contrasted with claims that both sexes have identical natures. The statement that the two sexes are not different in kind but only in degree, woman is the weaker man - always inferior in capacity (Book V, 454e), is problematic in itself. Women are associated with men in all human activities, but that association is not one of equals (Book V, 454e). Everywhere, women are only secondary if at all "women". Remarkably, Plato comes to the conclusion that females are first and foremost human beings, even if decidedly inferior human beings, when evaluated according to their ability to engage in characteristics human activities" (Book V, 454e). In addition, Plato considered the differences among members of the same sex far greater than average differences between the sexes in all the relevant aspects to the guidance of an ideal society" (Bluestone188). Plato intends that the guardian class should be composed of both men and women. He maintains that there is nothing in female nature to prevent women's participation, arguing, "there is no way of life concerned with the management of the city that belongs to a woman because she is a woman or to a men because he is a men, but the various natures are distributed in the same way in both creatures. Women share by nature in every way of life just as men do, but in all of them women are weaker then men." (Book V, 454e). "Then women of this sort must be chosen along with men of the same sort to live with them and share their guardianship, seeing that they are adequate for the task and akin to the men in nature " (Book V, 456a). Plato's concept of justice is based on each person's doing what he is best suited for (Book III, 352d-354a). He explicitly states that there are no specifically female traits, either biological or psychological, that would naturally exclude women from these pursuits (Book V, 456a). In the Idea...
