Spelman warns that holding Plato up as a feminist philosopher should be done with care. Even if he believed that women and men were equal in the soul, the other implications of his argument must be looked at. Who's Who in the Polis Spelman, in this chapter, discusses Aristotle's ideas about women and men. This chapter focuses on his views of women and slaves. He believes that men are naturally superior to women.
Women do possess reason, which is an uniquely human trait.
However, they do not possess enough reason to rule. Women are to bear children and be their husband's companions. Slaves are to do menial labor under the instruction and supervision of others. Spelman believes that Aristotle views the relationship between man and wife as more equal than that between master and slave. But the male-female relationship is still one of rule by the male.