The Laws of Plato 1st Edition

by Plato (Author), Thomas L. Pangle (Translator)

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ISBN-13: 978-0226671109

ISBN-10: 0226671100

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The Laws, Plato's longest dialogue, has for centuries been recognized as the most comprehensive exposition of the practical consequences of his philosophy, a necessary corrective to the more visionary and utopian Republic. In this animated encounter between a foreign philosopher and a powerful statesman, not only do we see reflected, in Plato's own thought, eternal questions of the relation between political theory and practice, but we also witness the working out of a detailed plan for a new political order that embodies the results of Plato's mature reflection on the family, the status of women, property rights, criminal law, and the role of religion and the fine arts in a healthy republic.

"Because it succeeds in being both literal and comprehensive, it is by far superior to any translation available. By reproducing dramatic detail often omitted, such as oaths, hesitations, repetitions, and forms of address, Pangle allows the reader to follow the dialogue's interplay between argument and dramatic context. . . . Pangle's translation captures the excitement and the drama of Plato's text."—Mary P. Nichols, Ancient Philosophy

"Pangle's achievement is remarkable. . . . The accompanying interpretive essay is an excellent distillation of a dialogue three times its size. The commentary is thoughtful, even profound; and it amply demonstrates the importance of reading Plato carefully and from a translation that is true to his language."—Patrick Coby, American Political Science Review

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas L. Pangle is the Joe R. Long Chair in Democratic Studies and codirector of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas at the University of Texas at Austin. His many books include, most recently, The Socratic Way of Life, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Product details

Publisher : University of Chicago Press; 1st edition (March 15, 1988)
Language : English
Paperback : 576 pages
ISBN-10 : 0226671100
ISBN-13 : 978-0226671109
Lexile measure : 1380L
Item Weight : 2.33 pounds
Dimensions : 6.12 x 1.4 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #730,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #785 in Social Philosophy
- #3,323 in Philosophy (Books)
- #4,494 in Political Science (Books)

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200 ratings

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5 star		68%
4 star		15%
3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		6%

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Amazon Customer

but a horrible philosophy to follow

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018

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Plato is the ultimate philosopher but this view of the world is one I cannot get behind. It is hard to know where he is serious and where he is not and I know scholars debate this too. Interesting read, but a horrible philosophy to follow!

4 people found this helpful

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Reviewer from San Ramon

Best translation and commentary on Plato's Laws

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2011

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This is probably the best translation of Laws out there. The commentary in the end of the translation is superb and fill the void on generally rare interpretation of this works. A few notes on Plato's Laws:
- Unlike other works by Plato, this is less of a "dialogue" and more like a treatise. Whereas in other dialogs Plato would challenge and agree with his dialog-partner on a certain subject, here he (the Athenian stranger) does not shy away from "stating" what should be. So, as such, this work is very different from other of Plato's works, both in structure and in style.
- I like to compare this with Timeaus. In Timaeus, Plato describes the stucture of the cosmos, the world out there, how it works, how each planets interact with each others, how universe was created, and so on. In the Laws, Plato describes the inner working of a polis based on Laws: how laws came to being, what are the laws for various transgression and so on. Laws is a description of the cosmos within a polis.

21 people found this helpful

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Armie

The best Translation Still!

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017

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Saunder's has provided us with an excellent example of academic scholarship and love for philosophy as a whole. Plato is a giant, it's not an easy feat to bring one of his greatest and longest works into the mainstream, making it fairly accessible to anybody who likes to learn about the great thinkers of antiquity. With this translation that is what you get, readability and clarity, presenting the reader with a clear string of thought that won't lead him astray, bravo I dare say!!!!

3 people found this helpful

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Katheryn Maddox Haddad

Just what I needed

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2017

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Well organized with helpful summaries in the margins. I read this book in order to write a historical novel about a lawyer in the First-Century Roman Empire. This was exactly what I needed.

2 people found this helpful

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Απoκρυφτ

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2018

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This is the book every, law and philosophy students need to read.

3 people found this helpful

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Shelley Harris

Back to the basics

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2021

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I enjoyed reading this book. It's amazing we can get these classics for free or for 99 cents. Plato is the best.

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Krys

Read it!

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020

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Great book to read. If you found yourself debating it, just do it.

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Ricardo Daniel Rodrigues Sequeira

It is the most excellent of books

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2018

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It is the most excellent of books, it is just as the title promises, it is the mighty Laws of Plato - Magnesia is indeed the human manifestation of the natural order of the Cosmos.

2 people found this helpful

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Graham Cammock

Plato's The Laws is a classic masterpiece!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2017

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Plato's The Laws is a classic masterpiece. Although it would be cumbersome to give a description of every section of the book, here are some highlights: Plato starts off talking about the inadequacy of Spartan and Cretan legislation, in that they are geared up completely to the aim of War. He then discusses drinking parties and how they can be beneficial or educational to citizens, as kind of test of self restraint. He discusses music, dance and singing to quite some extent, mainly in the form of three choruses, which include children, men to the age of thirty and men from the age of thirty to sixty. He discusses which kinds of music should be suitable or censored in the hypothetical new state to be founded on Crete called Magnesia. He discusses the preferred locality and the type of terrain Magnesia should be established on, he then divides the territory in to twelve districts radiating from the city and corresponding to twelve tribes. This is then divided further in to hearths or farms for each individual citizen or family, the exact number being 5040, which can neither increase nor decrease. He discusses what type of people should colonise Magnesia, what political offices there should be in the new state, and precisely how the offices are to be filled, whether by election or lot. There are four classes in Magnesia, ranging from wealthy to poor. Although farms are assigned to the citizens, property and produce are to be held in common, the state ultimately owns the land. This book is like a legislation for an early communist society. There is to be limited money and wealth in Magnesia, a man can only own up to four times the value of his lot. There are also restrictions on how much money a citizen can own, (all this is to curb the greed and avarice of profiteering). There are three goals of the city-state and the citizens, in order of importance, they are: virtue and that of the soul, the health of the body, and finally external goods, such as wealth. Virtue has four parts, courage, restraint, wisdom and justice, and the ultimate goal of the state and legislator is virtue. Plato discusses, common meals, education and military training and how women should be given equal inclusion and training in these institutions and fields. Plato then discusses capital offences, with surprisingly mild and severe punishments for homicide, woundings and assault. In a riveting chapter he then discusses religion and makes arguments against complete atheists, as well as those who believe the gods are indifferent to human affairs, and those who think the gods are venal and can be bribed. Surprisingly some of these punishments for these acts of impiety are harsher than those for homicide. In fact the death penalty occurs more frequently towards the end of the book, under miscellaneous legislation. The Laws is a riveting and essential read for anyone with an interest in legislation, statecraft or politics. I highly recommend it to anyone.

3 people found this helpful

Adam Oz

downloads well

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2019

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download with no issues

Tommy666

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2018

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Not what I was expecting

Roger daniel

Reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2018

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Good to read thanks

Sir Lee

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2017

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