Ibn Rushd’s Commentary on Plato’s Republic (p. 58-59)
● It might be possible that women are more diligent in the art of practicing music
● This is why it is said that melodies are perfected when men produce them and women do them well
● If men and women do the same kind of activity then women will be weaker at it
○ Therefore it is important that the less difficult jobs are handed over to them
● In some instances the women are more diligent at something than the man. This is the case for:
○ 1. Weaving
○ 2. Sewing
○ 3. Other such arts
● Because women are formed with eminence and a praiseworthy disposition, it is possible that there ar
rulers and philosophers among them as well
● It was previously believed that this class only existed among them infrequently
○ Therefore, some laws ruled out women being priests
○ Nevertheless, some other laws that did not rule out this possibility of this existing rejected this
■ This is already clear from the investigation of the animals
● It is fitting that there are female guardians
● It can be seen in female dogs who guard the same as their male guards but are weaker at it?
● Rarely nature gives the male an instrument that is not in the female (as is the case with the boar)
○ Therefore, it can be said that nature intends for female to also do those activities
● The competence of women is unknown
○ Their main purpose is procreation and are therefore placed at the service of their husbands
○ They are meant to be:
■ 1. Procreating
■ 2. Upbringing
■ 3. Suckling
● As a result, this nullifies their other activities
● Because women are not prepared with respect for human virtuous, they often resemble plants
● There is also poverty in the city because women are found in double the amount than men
● However, they cannot perform any of the necessarily activities and only do spinning and weaving
,Al Farabi (pp. 60-76)
● Human beings cannot reach their full potential unless they join together into one dwelling place
● Some human association are small, some medium and some large
● The LARGE association is an association of many nations coming together and helping one another
● The MEDIUM association is the nation
● The SMALL are those the city embraces
○ These 3 are the perfect associations
● Therefore, the CITY is FIRST in the rankings of perfections
● Associations in VILLAGES, QUARTERS, STREETS and HOUSES are DEFECTIVE
○ The one that is most DEFECTIVE of these is the HOUSEHOLD association
■ It is part of the association in the street
■ The association in the street is part of the association in the quarter
■ The association in the quarter is part of the civic association
■ The associations of the quarter and those in villages are both for the sake of the city
● However, the quarters are parts of the city while villages serve the city
● The civic association is part of the nation and the nation is divided into cities
● The unqualifiedly perfect human association is divided into nations
● One nation is distinguished from another by 2 natural things
○ 1. Natural temperaments
○ 2. Natural states of character
○ 3. Conventional (the language through which expression comes about- the tongue)
● The 1st NATURAL CAUSE for the difference in nations with respect to these objects are various thin
○ 1. The difference in the parts of the heavenly bodies that face them with respect ot the first sph
○ 2. The difference in the positions of the inclined spheres from parts of the earth and what occu
In those parts because of the spheres’ proximity or distance
● 3. The difference in the parts of the earth that are the dwelling-places of the nations
○ This difference follows from the difference in the parts of the first sphere facing them
■ Then the difference in the fixed stars facing them
● Then the difference in the positions of the inclined spheres with respect
● From the difference in the parts of the earth follows the differences in the vapors that arise from the
Earth
● Because every vapor is generated from a soil, it resembles that soil
● Following from the difference in the vapors, is the difference in air and the difference in water due to
the water in every country coming into being from the vapors that are beneath the soil of that country
● And the air in each country is mixed with the vapor that rises up to it from the soil
● From the difference in the sphere of the fixed stars facing it, in the first sphere and in the positions of
the inclined spheres follows the difference in air and water
● From these follow the difference in pants and the difference in the species of nonrational animals
, ○ Thus, the nutriments off the nations differ
● Following from the difference in their nutriments is the difference inthe materials and crops from whi
come to be the people who succeed those who pass away
● Following from that is the difference in temperaments and in natural states of character
● The difference inthe parts of the heavens that face their heads is also a cause for the difference in
temperaments and states of character in a way other than what was mentioned
● The difference in air is also a cause for the difference in temperaments and states of character in a way
other than what was mentioned
The Virtuous City
● WILL is at first only a LONGING that comes from sensation
● LONGING comes about through the APPETITIVE and SENSATION through the sense-perceptive
part
● Then by attaining the IMAGINATIVE part of the soul, and the LONGING that follows upon after
that a second will is attained after the first
● So this will is a LONGING that comes from IMAGINATION
○ After these 2 are attained, it is possible to attain in the RATIONAL part the PRIMAR
COGNITIONS from the active intellect
● Then, a 3rd kind of WILL is generated in the human being, the longing that comes from REASON
○ This is what is referred to as “CHOICE”
○ This what makes the human being different from the rest of the animals
■ Through this a human being can do what is praiseworthy or blameworthy…
● Noble or base….
○ And because of this there is PUNISHMENT and REWARD
● The first 2 WILLS can also be seen in NON RATIONAL ANIMALS
● However, when the third WILL is attained, it allows the human to strive towards happiness or not
○ Through this the human being is able to do good or bad...noble or base…
● HAPPINESS is UNQUALIFIED good
● Whatever is useful for obtaining happiness and gaining it is also good
○ Not for its own sake but for the sake of its usefulness with respect towards happiness
○ Whatever hinders happiness is UNQUALIFIED evil
● The good useful from obtaining happiness may be something existing by nature and that may come
about by will
● The evil that impedes from happiness may be something existing by nature and that may come about
by will
● That which is given by nature comes from the HEAVENLY BODIES however their aim is not to
help the active intellect move towards its purpose or to hamper it
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