The LawsIn the Laws, Plato describes in fascinating detail a comprehensive system of legislation in a small agricultural utopia he named Magnesia. His laws not only govern crime and punishment, but also form a code of conduct for all aspects of life in his ideal state from education, sport and religion to sexual behaviour, marriage and drinking parties. Plato sets out a plan for the day-to-day rule of Magnesia, administered by citizens and elected officials, with supreme power held by a Council. Although Plato's views that citizens should act in complete obedience to the law have been read as totalitarian, the Laws nonetheless constitutes a highly impressive programme for the reform of society and provides a crucial insight into the mind of one of Classical Greece's foremost thinkers. |
Contents
XXI | 45 |
XXIII | 46 |
XXIV | 56 |
XXV | 63 |
XXVII | 69 |
XXVIII | 70 |
XXIX | 72 |
XXX | 83 |
CLXVIII | 309 |
CLXIX | 311 |
CLXX | 315 |
CLXXI | 317 |
CLXXII | 321 |
CLXXIV | 322 |
CLXXV | 325 |
CLXXVI | 328 |
XXXI | 85 |
XXXII | 86 |
XXXIII | 89 |
XXXIV | 91 |
XXXV | 92 |
XXXVI | 97 |
XXXVII | 101 |
XXXVIII | 102 |
XXXIX | 106 |
XL | 112 |
XLI | 114 |
XLII | 118 |
XLIV | 123 |
XLV | 124 |
XLVI | 125 |
XLVII | 127 |
XLVIII | 132 |
XLIX | 137 |
L | 139 |
LI | 143 |
LIII | 144 |
LIV | 150 |
LV | 152 |
LVI | 155 |
LVII | 156 |
LVIII | 157 |
LIX | 158 |
LX | 163 |
LXI | 164 |
LXII | 169 |
LXIII | 170 |
LXIV | 172 |
LXV | 174 |
LXVI | 178 |
LXVII | 181 |
LXVIII | 182 |
LXIX | 184 |
LXX | 187 |
LXXI | 188 |
LXXII | 189 |
LXXIII | 191 |
LXXIV | 192 |
LXXVI | 193 |
LXXVIII | 194 |
LXXIX | 195 |
LXXX | 196 |
LXXXI | 197 |
LXXXIII | 201 |
LXXXV | 202 |
LXXXVI | 203 |
LXXXVII | 205 |
LXXXVIII | 206 |
LXXXIX | 207 |
XC | 208 |
XCII | 210 |
XCIII | 211 |
XCIV | 214 |
XCV | 215 |
XCVI | 216 |
XCVII | 217 |
XCVIII | 219 |
XCIX | 220 |
C | 221 |
CI | 223 |
CII | 226 |
CIII | 227 |
CV | 228 |
CVI | 229 |
CVII | 230 |
CVIII | 231 |
CIX | 232 |
CX | 233 |
CXII | 235 |
CXIII | 236 |
CXIV | 237 |
CXV | 238 |
CXVI | 239 |
CXVII | 240 |
CXVIII | 241 |
CXIX | 242 |
CXX | 243 |
CXXII | 244 |
CXXV | 246 |
CXXVII | 249 |
CXXVIII | 250 |
CXXX | 251 |
CXXXII | 253 |
CXXXIII | 254 |
CXXXIV | 255 |
CXXXVI | 256 |
CXXXVIII | 259 |
CXXXIX | 261 |
CXL | 263 |
CXLI | 266 |
CXLII | 268 |
CXLIV | 269 |
CXLV | 270 |
CXLVII | 271 |
CXLVIII | 273 |
CXLIX | 275 |
CL | 277 |
CLI | 278 |
CLII | 279 |
CLIII | 281 |
CLIV | 282 |
CLV | 287 |
CLVI | 290 |
CLVII | 291 |
CLVIII | 293 |
CLX | 296 |
CLXI | 298 |
CLXII | 299 |
CLXIII | 300 |
CLXIV | 302 |
CLXV | 303 |
CLXVI | 304 |
CLXVII | 307 |
CLXXVII | 329 |
CLXXVIII | 330 |
CLXXX | 332 |
CLXXXII | 334 |
CLXXXIII | 336 |
CLXXXIV | 338 |
CLXXXV | 340 |
CLXXXVI | 342 |
CLXXXVIII | 343 |
CLXXXIX | 344 |
CXC | 345 |
CXCI | 346 |
CXCII | 347 |
CXCIII | 348 |
CXCIV | 349 |
CXCV | 350 |
CXCVII | 351 |
CXCVIII | 352 |
CXCIX | 354 |
CC | 355 |
CCII | 356 |
CCIII | 359 |
CCIV | 360 |
CCV | 361 |
CCVI | 362 |
CCVIII | 365 |
CCIX | 369 |
CCX | 371 |
CCXI | 373 |
CCXII | 376 |
CCXIV | 377 |
CCXV | 380 |
CCXVI | 385 |
CCXVII | 391 |
CCXIX | 392 |
CCXXI | 394 |
CCXXIII | 395 |
CCXXIV | 397 |
CCXXVI | 400 |
CCXXVII | 401 |
CCXXVIII | 402 |
CCXXIX | 408 |
CCXXX | 410 |
CCXXXI | 411 |
CCXXXII | 414 |
CCXXXIII | 415 |
CCXXXIV | 418 |
CCXXXV | 420 |
CCXXXVI | 422 |
CCXXXVII | 425 |
CCXXXVIII | 426 |
CCXXXIX | 428 |
CCXL | 430 |
CCXLI | 432 |
CCXLII | 433 |
CCXLIII | 437 |
CCXLIV | 442 |
CCXLV | 444 |
CCXLVI | 445 |
CCXLVII | 446 |
CCXLVIII | 449 |
CCLI | 450 |
CCLII | 451 |
CCLIII | 453 |
CCLV | 456 |
CCLVI | 460 |
CCLVIII | 461 |
CCLIX | 463 |
CCLXI | 465 |
CCLXII | 468 |
CCLXIII | 469 |
CCLXIV | 472 |
CCLXV | 473 |
CCLXVI | 474 |
CCLXVIII | 475 |
CCLXX | 479 |
CCLXXII | 480 |
CCLXXIII | 481 |
CCLXXIV | 482 |
CCLXXV | 483 |
CCLXXVI | 484 |
CCLXXVIII | 485 |
CCLXXIX | 486 |
CCLXXX | 487 |
CCLXXXI | 488 |
CCLXXXII | 489 |
CCLXXXIII | 491 |
CCLXXXIV | 493 |
CCLXXXV | 494 |
CCLXXXVI | 496 |
CCLXXXVII | 497 |
CCLXXXIX | 499 |
CCXCI | 500 |
CCXCII | 501 |
CCXCIII | 503 |
CCXCIV | 505 |
CCXCVI | 506 |
CCXCIX | 507 |
CCCI | 508 |
CCCIII | 509 |
CCCV | 511 |
CCCVI | 512 |
CCCVII | 515 |
CCCVIII | 517 |
CCCIX | 518 |
CCCX | 521 |
CCCXI | 523 |
CCCXII | 524 |
CCCXIII | 526 |
CCCXIV | 528 |
CCCXV | 529 |
CCCXVI | 531 |
533 | |
CCCXVIII | 539 |
CCCXIX | 545 |
549 | |
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Common terms and phrases
absolutely anger animals argument ATHENIAN Athenian democracy Athens better body certainly character charge chorus citizens City-Wardens CLEINIAS correct Corybantic Country-Wardens courage course court Cretan Crete crime Cronus damage dancing deserves discussion disgrace drachmas drink duty entire Epimenides fact father foreigner friends G. R. Morrow give gods Greek Guardians hand Hesiod History of Sparta honour Iliad impiety injustice judgement judges justice keep kills kind lawgiver legal code legislator live look Magnesia marriage matter mean MEGILLUS military moral murder nature never officials pain penalty Persians person Plato Plato's Laws pleasure political system precisely produce property-class punishment reason regulations rules Scrutineers singing slave Socrates someone sort soul Spartan suppose tell temples there's thing tion topic true Tyrtaeus virtue whole women young Zeus
Popular passages
Page 17 - In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.