Leyes, Libros 7-12

by Plato

Plato, the great philosopher of Athens, was born in 427 BCE. In early manhood an admirer of Socrates, he later founded the famous school of philosophy in the grove Academus. Much else recorded of his life is uncertain; that he left Athens for a time after Socrates' execution is probable; that later he went to Cyrene, Egypt, and Sicily is possible; that he was wealthy is likely; that he was critical of 'advanced' democracy is obvious. He lived to be 80 years old. Linguistic tests including those of computer science still try to establish the order of his extant philosophical dialogues, written in splendid prose and revealing Socrates' mind fused with Plato's thought.

In Laches, Charmides, and Lysis, Socrates and others discuss separate ethical conceptions. Protagoras, Ion, and Meno discuss whether righteousness can be taught. In Gorgias, Socrates is estranged from his city's thought, and his fate is impending. The Apology (not a dialogue), Crito, Euthyphro, and the unforgettable Phaedo relate the trial and death of Socrates and propound the immortality of the soul. In the famous Symposium and Phaedrus, written when Socrates was still alive, we find the origin and meaning of love. Cratylus discusses the nature of language. The great masterpiece in ten books, the Republic, concerns righteousness (and involves education, equality of the sexes, the structure of society, and abolition of slavery). Of the six so-called dialectical dialogues Euthydemus deals with philosophy; metaphysical Parmenides is about general concepts and absolute being; Theaetetus reasons about the theory of knowledge. Of its sequels, Sophist deals with not-being; Politicus with good and bad statesmanship and governments; Philebus with what is good. The Timaeus seeks the origin of the visible universe out of abstract geometrical elements. The unfinished Critias treats of lost Atlantis. Unfinished also is Plato's last work of the twelve books of Laws (Socrates is absent from it), a critical discussion of principles of law which Plato thought the Greeks might accept.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Plato is in twelve volumes.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

368 pages, paper

First published January 1, 1926

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Paideia Sofista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hace más de dos décadas que soñé con algún día leer todos los diálogos de Platón, excepto la República y las Leyes, me decía yo, pues me las imaginaba como un par de mamotretos áridos e insufribles.

Ninguno resultó serlo. Por el contrario, se percibe una pluma más experimentada, capaz de sostener esa peculiar mezcla de narración/argumentación que son los diálogos platónicos por mucho más tiempo. Literalmente, conversaciones de largo aliento, que aunque francamente resultan menos estimulantes filosóficamente hablando, se siguen con la naturalidad y el placer de una plática amena.

Mi prejuicio era que se trataría de una suerte de código legal, pero no. Se trata más bien de la construcción reflexiva de dicho código. Una especie de 'hágalo usted mismo' de la actividad legislativa, pero que integra análisis así como reflexiones filosóficas, sociológicas, teológicas, antropológicas, legales y más.

[Santiago González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastante más pesado salvo el libro 10 que habla de teología y algunas cosas perdidas entre legislación

[Floris · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the necessary help or Mindy Mendell of All about Platonism, because all this human-state metaphor requires a lot or interpretating

[Yann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snif! Mon dernier Platon... Ces derniers livres développent en détail les lois que les trois amis (surtout l'Athénien) imaginent pour la cité des Magnètes. Heureusement qu'ils prévoient qu'elles devront être améliorées avec le temps, car sinon, leur rigueur les auraient rendues bien vite odieuse. Il n'est pas bon être un agitateur ou un esprit fort dans cette cité imaginaire, où Platon dépose tous les pouvoirs de force et de persuasion entre les mains d'une élite formée par la philosophie mais conservatrice. C'est l'image de la société millénaire égyptienne qui a tellement frappé notre célèbre philosophe, et le contraste qu'elle offrait avec la direction démocratique de sa cité, comparable à un bateau ivre. Les contacts avec l'étranger sont sévèrement réglementes. Si les avantages de l'idée de Platon sont clairs, ils ne font reposer les chances de changement que sur une petite partie de la population, qui ne sera peut être pas toujours la plus à même de saisir les opportunités de progrès.

[Alice Mennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh very very brilliant it made me laugh cry It is a really very special book to read. poetry really. with laughter and love and the wonderful nature and the stars and the moon it is what life is about. Of course one can enjoy reading its really very lovely to read. It brought me peace.