Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

Utopianism

Plato’s Life and Work

Plato’s Political Thought

The Republic

The Statesman (‘Politicus’)

The Laws

The Relationship between the Republic and the Laws

Magnesia: the New Utopia

(a) Size and Situation

(b) Population and Occupations

(c) Education

(d) Religion

(e) Law

(f) Government and Administration

Plato and Totalitarianism

The Modern Reaction to Plato

Composition and Structure of the Laws: Summary

Further Reading

Note on the Translation

THE LAWS

BK I §I. THE INADEQUACY OF SPARTAN AND CRETAN LEGISLATION

Introductory Conversation

The Aim of Spartan and Cretan Laws

Courage and Pleasure

§2. DRINKING PARTIES AS AN EDUCATIONAL DEVICE

Teetotallers Misguided

Can Drinking Parties be Educational?

Interlude: The Athenian Pressed for an Answer

The Nature and Purpose of Education (1)

The Educational Effect of Drinking Parties (1)

BK II §3. THE ARTS IN THE SERVICE OF EDUCATION

The Nature and Purpose of Education (2)

How the Arts should reinforce Education

Is Pleasure the Proper Criterion in the Arts?

Artistic Censorship in Egypt

Proper and Improper Pleasures

Justice and Happiness go Together

Children are Easily Persuaded

The Three Choruses

Qualifications of the Third Chorus, and an Attack on Contemporary Trends in the Arts

The Educational Effects of Drinking Parties (2)

Summing-up on the Uses of Drink

BK III §4. THE LESSONS OF HISTORY (1): LEGISLATION AND THE BALANCE OF POWERS

Life after the Flood

Autocracy

The Primitive City and the Origin of Legislation

Troy

The Dorian League

Why did the League fail?

Seven Titles to Authority

The Reasons for Sparta’s Success

§5. THE LESSONS OF HISTORY (2): MONARCHY AND DEMOCRACY

Two Mother-Constitutions

The Persian Monarchy

Athens and the Persian Wars

The Corruption of the Athenian Democracy

Recapitulation

The Proposed New Cretan Colony

§6. MAGNESIA AND ITS PEOPLE BK IV

Natural Resources

The New Colonists

The Need for a Benevolent Dictator

What Constitution is to be Imposed?

The Age of Cronus

Law should be Supreme

Address to the New Colonists

§7. THE CORRECT WAY TO LEGISLATE: LAWS AND PREAMBLES

The Legislator must Justify his Laws

Two Categories of Doctors

Two Categories of Laws: an Example

Preambles Essential

§8. GENERAL PREAMBLE TO THE LEGAL CODE

Introduction

The Importance of Honouring the Soul BK V

Physical Fitness

Wealth

The Correct Treatment of Children

Duties to Relatives, Friends and State

Duties to Foreigners

Personal Morality

How to Handle Criminals

Selfishness

Extremes of Emotion to be Avoided

Virtue and Happiness

§9. THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW STATE

Preliminary Analysis of the State

The Selection of the Citizens

Distributing the Land (1)

The Size of the Population (1)

Religious and Social Occasions

States Ideal and Real: Community of Property

Distributing the Land (2)

The Size of the Population (2)

Holdings are Inalienable

The Possession of Money

The Four Property-Classes

Administrative Units of the State

Theory to be Modified by Facts

The Pre-eminence of Mathematics

Influences of Climate

BK VI §1O. CIVIL AND LEGAL ADMINISTRATION

Problems of Appointing the First Officials

The Election of the Guardians of the Laws

Duties and Tenure of the Guardians; Registration of Property

Military Officials

Generals

Company-Commanders

The Elections

Cavalry-Commanders

Disputed Votes

The Election of the Council

The Notion of Equality

The Executive Committee of the Council

Other Officials; Priests

The Election of the Expounders

Treasurers

The Protection of the Territory

The Rural Courts

How the Country-Wardens are to Live

The City-Wardens

The Market-Wardens

Education Officials

The Minister of Education

Death in Office

Three Grades of Court

Election of the Supreme Court

Corrupt Verdicts

The Court of the People

The Tribal Courts

Our Scheme is only a Sketch

§11. MARRIAGE AND RELATED TOPICS

The Younger Legislators

The Organization of Religious Festivals

Marriage: Choosing a Partner (1)

Changing the Laws

The Law of Marriage

Preamble to the Law of Marriage: Choosing a Partner (2)

Failure to Marry

Dowries

The Wedding-Feast

Correct Procreation (1)

The Life of the Newly-Weds

The Problem of Slavery

The Buildings of the State

Women must join the Communal Meals

Three Instinctive Drives: Food, Drink, Sex

Correct Procreation (2)

Adultery

Registration of Births and Deaths

Age Limits

§12. EDUCATION BK VII

Written and Unwritten Rules

Education in the Womb

The Importance of Movement: the Evidence of Corybantic Ritual

How far should a Child be Humoured?

Unwritten Rules: a Reminder

Early Education

Ambidexterity

Physical Training (1)

The Dangers of Innovation in Education

Some Model Rules

The Regulation of Music

The Right Use of Leisure

Attendance at School

The Education of Females

How to Live a Life of Leisure

Further Duties of the Minister of Education

The Legislator’s Instructions to the Minister of Education: the Curriculum

Literature

A Set Text: Selections from the Laws of Plato

Music

Physical Training (2)

Dancing

Comedy and Tragedy

Mathematics

Astronomy

Hunting: Written and Unwritten Rules again

BK VIII §13. SPORT AND MILITARY TRAINING

Arrangements for Festivals

Military Training

Obstacles to Correct Military Training

Races

Contests in Arms

Horse-Racing

Conclusion

§14. PROBLEMS OF SEXUAL CONDUCT

The Problems Stated

Three Kinds of Friendship

How to Discourage Unnatural Sexual Intercourse

The Importance of Self-Control

Two Alternative Laws

§15. AGRICULTURE, ECONOMICS AND TRADE

The Food Supply (1)

Agricultural Laws

Duties to Neighbours

The Water Supply (1)

The Harvest

The Water Supply (2)

Bringing in Crops

Artisans

Imports and Exports

The Food Supply (2)

Dwelling Houses

The Markets

Resident Aliens

§16. CAPITAL OFFENCES BK IX

Preliminary Discussion

Robbery from Temples

Procedure in Capital Cases

Subversion

Treason

§17. THE THEORY OF PUNISHMENT

Theft: Should all Thefts Attract the Same Punishment?

Philosophical Legislation Justified

A ‘Terminological Inexactitude’

The Attack on the Distinction between ‘Voluntary’ and ‘Involuntary’

The New Distinction, and the Purpose of Punishment

A Fuller Account of Injustice

§18. HOMICIDE LAW

Persons Unfit to Plead

Involuntary Homicide

Homicide in Anger

Voluntary Homicide

Suicide

Animals and Inanimate Objects as Killers

Murder by Persons Unknown

Justifiable Homicide

§19. WOUNDINGS

Preliminaries

The Courts’ Discretion

Voluntary Wounding, and a Digression on Adopting an Heir in Cases of Childlessness

Woundings Inflicted in Anger

Involuntary Woundings

§20. ASSAULT

BK X §21. RELIGION

Three Sources of Impiety

The Case of the Opposition

Address to the Young Heretic

Nature and Chance versus Design

The Difficulties of Refuting Atheists

The Priority of Soul (1)

Ten Kinds of Motion

Soul Moves Itself

The Priority of Soul (2)

Soul Moves the Heavenly Bodies

How Soul Moves the Heavenly Bodies

Address to the Believer in the Indifference of the Gods

Proof that the Gods care for Mankind

The Justice of the Gods, and the Fate of the Soul

Transition to the Law of Impiety

Two Kinds of Offenders

The Punishment for Impiety

Private Shrines

§22. THE LAW OF PROPERTY BK XI

Respect for Property

Removal of Buried Treasure

Removal of Property in General

The Treatment of Slaves and Freedmen

§23. COMMERCIAL LAW

The Law of Sale and Exchange

Retail Trade

Contracts

Dealings with Craftsmen

Military ‘Craftsmen’

§24. FAMILY LAW

Making a Will

Testamentary and Inheritance Law

How to Mitigate the Harshness of the Law

The Care of Orphans

Disinheritance

Senility

Divorce and Remarriage

Death of a Wife or Husband

Children of Mixed Status

Respect for Parents

§25. MISCELLANEOUS LEGISLATION

Non-fatal Injuries by Drugs and Charms

The Purpose of Punishment

Lunacy

Abuse

The Censorship of Comedies

Beggars

Damage by Slaves

Further Rules of Legal Procedure

Unscrupulous Advocacy

BK XII Offences Committed by Members of Diplomatic Missions

Theft of Public Property

Military Service

Abandonment of Weapons

The Need for Scrutineers

The Election and Duties of the Scrutineers

The Funeral of a Scrutineer

Prosecutions of Scrutineers

Oaths

Refusal to Contribute to Public Expenses

Relations with the Outside World

Foreign Travel

The Observers

Foreign Visitors

Sureties

Searching a House

Time Limits for Disputing Title

Prevention of Attendance at Court

Prevention of Participation in Contests

Receiving Stolen Goods

Harbouring an Exile

Waging Private War

Bribes

Taxation

Offerings to the Gods

The Three Grades of Court

The Minor Points of Legal Procedure, and the Importance of Legal Studies

The Execution of Judgement

Funeral Regulations

§26. THE NOCTURNAL COUNCIL

How can the State be Preserved Intact?

Membership and Functions of the Council

The Unity and Plurality of Virtue

The Council’s Duty to Teach

The Higher Education of the Council

The Importance of Theology

Recruitment of the Council, and its Course of Studies

Closing Remarks

DEPARTURES FROM THE BUDÉ TEXT

MAP OF CENTRAL CRETE

LIST OF CRIMES

APPENDIX: PLATO’S LETTERS

NOTES

INDEX OF NAMES