Cai Qinlin

Zhejiang Normal University

Abstract：

Within the history of ancient Western educational thought, Plato stands out as one of the rare philosophers to explore female education in depth. He was the first to explicitly propose that men and women share the same natural capacities, advocating for equal educational rights and social roles for both sexes—a remarkably revolutionary breakthrough for his era. This paper places Plato's perspective on female education within the specific historical context following the Peloponnesian War and subjects it to a dialectical analysis. It argues that while Plato's view is inevitably marked by the limitations of his time, displaying clear class character and instrumentalism, its core achievement lies in elevating the issue of gender to the philosophical level of state governance and human nature. This profoundly challenged traditional educational views and retains significant historical relevance and instructive value for contemporary pursuits of educational equity and the holistic development of women.

Key Words：

Plato; female education; gender equality