lass. "Plato's arguments are authoritarian rather then liberal and far from the arguments that woman should have equal opportunity because otherwise they lead stunted and unhappy lives and lack the means for self-development" (Bluestone 97). His Seemingly egalitarian statements about women's capacity to rule go against the common opinion that woman are unfit for ruling. When structuring his ideal society Plato never had women's emancipation in mind, his primary interest was the good of the state (Book V 452a-452b). "State is only half a state if its women are allowed to run to waste" (Bluestone 42). The maturation of women was dwarfed, and the state lost the usefulness of half of its district. Plato emancipated women from the captivity of their homes, in order to subject them again to the service of the community. Plato argues for woman's duties and not women's rights. "Woman are to belong in common to all men" (Book V, 457c). Rewards of more frequent intercourse are offered solely to the bravest male (Book V, 460b), displaying unequal treatment since rewards for women are ignored.Plato is amazingly liberal in his attitude towards women, he provides them with more freedom then the traditional Greeks. He does not display fear of woman's sexuality; they were free to handle their sexuality exactly as they please as long as no children resulted (Book V, 460c). Excellent woman has usually implied a virtuous woman in terms of sexual morality, that is a chaste woman, whereas "an excellent man " carries no such connotation. This notorious "double standard" has been eliminated in Plato's state (Bluestone 56). His program of eugenic control (Book V, 457c-459e) is not rationalized in the modern term's of woman's rights. However the enforced regulation of sexuality, until after forty, is less restrained then the sexual life of the upper-class Greek wife, whose sex life was regulated and whose mental capacities were denigrated.Plato grants women equ...
