[454d]
and homogeneity
that was pertinent1 to the pursuits
themselves?” “We meant, for example, that a man and a
woman who have a physician's2 mind have the same nature. Don't you
think so?” “I do.” “But that a man
physician and a man carpenter have different natures?”
“Certainly, I suppose.”“Similarly, then,” said I, “if it appears
that the male and the female sex have distinct qualifications for any arts
or pursuits, we shall affirm that they ought to be assigned respectively to
each. But if it appears that they differ only in just this respect that the
female bears
1 Cf. Laches 190 Dεἰς ὃ τείνειν δοκεῖ, Protagoras 345 B.
2 Adam makes difficulties, but Cf. Laws 963 Aνοῦν . . . κυβερνητικὸν μὲν καὶ ἰατρικὸν καὶ στρατηγικόν. The translation follows Hermann despite the objection that this reading forestalls the next sentence. Cf. Campbell ad loc. and Apelt, Woch. für klass. Phil., 1903, p. 344.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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