Key Arguments

• Observes individual variation among women across arts, spirit, and philosophy, paralleling men.
• Concludes that some women ‘have the temper of a guardian’ and should be selected as colleagues of similar men.
• Reiterates the principle: same natures, same pursuits; thus wives of guardians receive music and gymnastic.

Source Quotes

Certainly. And one woman is a philosopher, and another is an enemy of philosophy; one has spirit, and another is without spirit? That is also true.

That is also true. Then one woman will have the temper of a guardian, and another not. Was not the selection of the male guardians determined by differences of this sort?

Yes. Men and women alike possess the qualities which make a guardian; they differ only in their comparative strength or weakness. Obviously.

Very true. And ought not the same natures to have the same pursuits? They ought.

They ought. Then, as we were saying before, there is nothing unnatural in assigning music and gymnastic to the wives of the guardians—to that point we come round again. Certainly not.

Key Concepts

• And one woman is a philosopher, and another is an enemy of philosophy; one has spirit, and another is without spirit?
• Then one woman will have the temper of a guardian, and another not.
• Men and women alike possess the qualities which make a guardian; they differ only in their comparative strength or weakness.
• And ought not the same natures to have the same pursuits?
• there is nothing unnatural in assigning music and gymnastic to the wives of the guardians

Context

Applies the refined specialization principle to justify coeducation and co-selection for guardianship.

Perspectives

Plato

Supports merit-based inclusion grounded in the Form-relevant capacities; affirms coeducation as natural to the kallipolis.

Socrates

Argues for institutional selection criteria identical across sexes, with practical adjustments for strength.