Plato's "Laws": The Discovery of Being

The Laws was Plato's last work, his longest, and one of his most difficult. In contrast to the Republic, which presents an abstract ideal not intended for any actual community, the Laws seems 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 the Laws, 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 music--in the broadest sense, including drama, epic poetry, and even puppetry--mediates between reason and the city in Plato's philosophy of law. Most broadly, however, Benardete here uncovers the concealed ontological dimension of the Laws, 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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
I. The Eidetic and the Genetic
1. War and Peace
2. Courage and Moderation
3. Drunkenness
4. The Puppet Masters
II. Education and Imitation
1. The Beautiful
2. Kinds of Pleasure
3. The Just
4. The Chorus of Dionysus
III. History
1. Homer
2. The Dorians
3. Persia and Athens
IV. Law and Prelude
1. People and Place
2. Regimes and Law
3. Double Law and Prelude
V. Prescriptions
1. Knowledge and Ignorance
2. The Real and the Imaginary
VI. On Getting Started
1. Beginnings and Magistrates
2. Succession
3. Marriage
VII. Education
1. Unwritten Law
2. Consecration
3. The Laws
4. Imitation
5. False Impressions
6. Hunting
VIII. The First End of the Laws
1. War Games
2. Eros
3. Agricultural and Commercial Law
IX. Criminal Law
1. Hard Cases
2. The Beautiful, the Just, and the Good
3. Socratic Ignorance
4. Violence
X. Theology
1. Atheism
2. Soul and Body
3. Providence
XI. Private Law
1. Making Good
2. Estrangements
3. Comedy
XII. Public Law
1. Heroic Virtue
2. Reviewers and Observers
3. The Nocturnal Council
Epilogue
Index
Text Problems in Laws

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