Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-10-27
VIEWS OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS ON
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
LUE +. VERNON.

In some dialogue or other, the
great Greek idealist, Plato, makes
mention of a certain mother who
grumbled at her husband for not
having a seat in the government"
and this is sufficient proof that the
women of Athens, some times. at
least, raised their eyes from their
weaving and considered, if only
momentarily, questions of political
economy and government.
Neither women as woman, not
man as a man. has any special
function in the administration of a
State" was the belief of Plato, but
the gifts of nature are equally diffused
in both sexes; all the pursuits of men
are also the pursuits of women.
This was high talk at a period
in Athens when for the most part,
women were considered as being
capable OF such virtues Cnly as would
be demanded of any ordinary slave.
Plato spoke a word for the cause Of
women at a time when no one was
prepared to listen to it. In those
days it was the men, not the women.
who dressed in fashion and gay
cOlOrs. Women were not even pres
ent at banquets. The male youths,
not the maidens of the cities, wore
garlands in their hair.
Women were not allowed to attend
the games, and, when their husbands
entertained male visitors of import
ance, they were not even permitted
to be present at the table. The
Athenians, when referring to their
families, always put their wives last.
circumstance which clearly enough
indicates their sentiments on this
subject. Except in her own imme-
diate circle. in Athens, a woman s
existence was hardly recognized.
What the Athenians believed in
general, Aristotle, the great Greek
scientist, believed in particularly.
Unlike Plato, who had been his in
structor for nearly twenty years,
Aristotle had no burning passion to
reform the world. f" The Athens of
his own times. suited him well
enough, whereas Plato was q dream
er of ideal conditions of society.
Aristotle is part and parcel of the
dccayed Greek civilization; Plato's
dreams have since become European
and American realities.
In his Politics." Aristotle aimed
at hardly anything greater than to
find favor in the eyes of his sovereign,
Alexander the Great. To do this it
was of course necessary to accommo-
date his economic theories to suit
the manners OF the tyrant's court.
In addition, Aristotle's mind worked
in q manner quite different from
Plato's. He saw Athens and he saw
Sparta. Plato tried to pierce into
the future history of humanity; Aris-
totle spent most of his time examin.
ing into such constitutions as actual
ly existed. He was not bit inter-
ested in any form Of government
that did not exist. Plato's "Repub-
lic." like the Utopia" OF Marx, was
not reality, but a hope.
1t is obvious that this kind of in.
vestigation did not make much of an
impression on Aristotle's somewhat
Oriental mind. as far as women were
concerned. for in oil these States
women were looked upon as political
nonentities. Aristotle took it for
granted that in the best States wom-
en- should be excluded from all politi-
cal activity. Aristotle really was
the Herbert Spencer of ancient
times, and had there been any socia-
listic movement in Athens, he would
have called it what Spencer desig-
mated Socialism. the coming slav-
cry"
Although Aristotle does not de-
liberately 20 into the question of
community of women, yet his very
silence upon a subject over which
Plato felt so intensely indicates that
he did not agree with him; and as
an anthropOlogist from a newly un-
earthed jawbone can reconstruct an
animal organism of some extinct
species, so can careful student de-
termine by Aristotle's scattered if
not always coherent remarks, his
sentiments on this question. Here
is an easy way to discover Aristo-
ties opinion on any subject. Learn
Plato's opinion on it and then re-
verse the medal. It would seem that
Aristotle disagreed with Plato on
method. If Plato argues for the i'm
mortality of the soul, you may be
certain Aristotle will be found argu-
ing against it. 1t is the same with
the community of women.
Aristotle strongly implies his lack
of sympathy with the Spartan women
holding property. nor did be ever ex-
press any enthusiasm over the Spar
tan custom, then in vogue, of girls
wrestling and running with boys in
the public games. Plato, on the
other hand. heartily approved of the
freedom of the Spartan women, and,