Book 5

I appreciated Socrates’ views on woman’s rights, the idea that women should have education and be brought up like men, means a more just society. However, when he introduced the idea of the common wife and children I was not convinced.

I understand that Socrates wants a sense of unity in creating a city that shares partners and the children, but I believe this is counter productive. Not knowing that the person across the street might be a close relative encourages the people to treat one another like family because there will always exist a possibility in their minds that that stranger could be a son or a brother to them. This might reduce conflict and crime but at the same time it creates uncertainty. If might detach people due to a lack of a close family. They might hold back from doing harm to others, but at the same time they are more likely than not to treat one another indifferently for the same reason that they might not do harm. Instead of thinking that they might be a relative they can think to themselves that more likely than not they are not a relative and therefore hold back from being helpful and cooperative. Instead of creating a society that is more united, this will create a detached society that might turn to seek desires and stray from patriotism.

It is an extreme censorship, to be denied knowing the identity of your kin. It will certainly encourage the people to rebel or to become systematic and less passionate. Either way the outcome to reach a unified society will not be reached. Keep woman’s rights Socrates, but censorship and polygamy is not the way to go.