The Laws

Plato was eighty when he began writing The Laws — his last and longest work, and in many ways his most honest. The ideal state of the Republic, governed by philosopher-kings who have seen the Form of the Good, was the vision of a young man who believed in pure reason as the guide to perfect order. The Laws is the work of an old man who has watched how people actually behave — and is trying to design a constitution that might work for them anyway.

The result is a work of extraordinary practical intelligence: a comprehensive account of legislation, education, religion, family life, and social organisation that takes human weakness seriously rather than simply demanding that people be better than they are. It is also one of Plato’s most readable dialogues — the unnamed Athenian Stranger who dominates it has the warmth and irony of a man who has seen a great deal and is still willing to try.

Essential for the serious student of Plato and of ancient political thought. Trevor Saunders’s translation makes this demanding text accessible. Published by Penguin Classics.