LawsA sharp contrast to the Utopian nature of The Republic, Laws sets out in practical form the structure of actual society, and how, realistically, humanity can expect to govern itself. The last of the dialogues by the Greek philosopher and mathematician PLATO (c. 428 B.C.c. 347 B.C.), this meditation on the nature of culture contains much that sounds outmoded to modern earssuch as discussions on slavery and the proper place of womenyet it remains an insightful examination of questions that continue to trouble us today, such as: [ the importance of education [ the nature of beauty [ the value of artistic endeavors [ how to implement matters of justice [ the principles of government [ the dangers presented by religion [ what constitutes a crime [ and much more. A foundational work of both Western philosophy and classical literature, in a highly readable 1871 translation by Benjamin Jowett, this is essential reading for students, thinkers, and anyone who wishes to be considered well educated. |
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¹ Cp able according agora allowed appointed Arist ATHEN Athenian better body called Certainly citizens CLEINIAS consider contests courage court Cretan Crete dance death desire Dionysus divine drachmae drinking elected evil father fear freeman friends give Gods greatest guardians gymnastic Hellenes Hesiod honour imitation impiety injury IX ATHE judges justice kind Lacedaemon Lacedaemonian land lawgiver Laws IX Laws VII ATHE legis legislator live magistrates mankind manner marriage matters mean MEGIL Megillus ment metic mind nature never NIAN pain parents penalty person pleasure poets praise principle proceed punished reason receive regulations rhythm rightly rulers slave song sort soul Sparta speak Stranger suffer suppose supra tell temperance temples things tion true truth Tyrtaeus virtue wardens Wherefore whole women words wrong young youth Zeus