Plato's Laws

by Benardete, Seth

• ISBN13: 9780226042718
• ISBN10: 0226042715
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

TheLawswas Plato's last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to theRepublic,which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any actual community, theLawsseems to provide practical guidelines for the establishment and maintenance of political order in the real world. With this book, the distinguished classicist Seth Benardete offers an insightful analysis and commentary on this rich and complex dialogue. Each of the chapters corresponds to one of the twelve books of theLaws,illuminating the major themes and arguments, which have to do with theology, the soul, justice, and education.The Greek word for law, "nomos," also means musical tune. Bernardete shows how musicin the broadest sense, including drama, epic poetry, and even puppetrymediates between reason and the city in Plato's philosophy of law. Most broadly, however, Benardete here uncovers the concealed ontological dimension of theLaws,explaining why it is concealed and how it comes to light. In establishing the coherence and underlying organization of Plato's last dialogue, Benardete makes a significant contribution to Platonic studies.

Author Biography

Seth Benardete is a professor of classics at New York University. His many books include The Argument of the Action, published by the Universoty of Chicago Press.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xix
The Eidetic and the Genetic
War and Peace	1	(23)
Courage and Moderation	24	(9)
Drunkenness	33	(9)
The Puppet Masters	42	(12)
Education and Imitation
The Beautiful	54	(9)
Kinds of Pleasure	63	(6)
The Just	69	(6)
The Chorus of Dionysus	75	(13)
History
Homer	88	(15)
The Dorians	103	(10)
Persia and Athens	113	(12)
Law and Prelude
People and Place	125	(8)
Regimes and Law	133	(10)
Double Law and Prelude	143	(10)
Prescriptions
Knowledge and Ignorance	153	(6)
The Real and the Imaginary	159	(12)
On Getting Started
Beginnings and Magistrates	171	(5)
Succession	176	(6)
Marriage	182	(8)
Education
Unwritten Law	190	(5)
Consecration	195	(14)
The Laws	209	(7)
Imitation	216	(7)
False Appearances	223	(3)
Hunting	226	(6)
The First End of the Laws
War Games	232	(6)
Eros	238	(8)
Agricultural and Commercial Law	246	(5)
Criminal Law
Hard Cases	251	(7)
The Beautiful, the Just, and the Good	258	(9)
Socratic Ignorance	267	(4)
Violence	271	(13)
Theology
Atheism	284	(4)
Soul and Body	288	(18)
Providence	306	(7)
Private Law
Making Good	313	(6)
Estrangements	319	(7)
Comedy	326	(3)
Public Law
Heroic Virtue	329	(6)
Reviewers and Observers	335	(5)
The Nocturnal Council	340	(13)
Epilogue	353	(16)
Index	369	(16)
Text Problems in Laws	385