Imagine being the descendant of slaves, and reading a book that extols the virtues of the Confederate states, and describes the inhumane treatment of slaves with admiration. That's what we've got here, in Harris' discussion of Sparta.Of course I don't blame him for the status of women in history. I do strenuously object to his apparent approval of it.There was all too much of this kind of sexism going on when I was growing up. No way will I let it pass without comment!Btw, after I posted yesterday, I saw that you mentioned Harris' sexism in the thread on Ch. 5. What's with his fascination with the boy team? Why isn't he fascinated with teamwork, which is nonexclusionary? I get the sense that he (incorrectly) imagines that women only cooperate within the framework of the family, and he clearly sees the family as oppressive. He's not only discussing history in his argument, he's presenting his philosophical world-view, and it's noticeably misogynistic. Women = family = oppression.It's code-talk, and if you're not in the group that's being dissed, maybe it's harder to pick up.