A Journey Into Platonic Politics: Plato's LawsUniversity Press of America, 2004 - 244 Seiten "One should not take up the Laws as a plan for a new society nor as a means to critique one's own nation and its customs. Indeed, the Laws benefits most those readers who are comfortable in their lover for and allegiance to the standards and institutions of their time and place. Perhaps this claim sounds surprising. But it should surprise only those who believe that love and loyalty are deep set obstacles to thought and reflections. In contrast, such attachments, and not their facile critique, are precisely what lead us to take a healthy interest in and reflect fruitfully upon other people's ways. The characters of the Laws recognize this truth as well. They recommend that the highest body of the new city, a council of thinkers and legislators, young and old, should regularly send spies to other nations, to search out the "beauties" in their foreign habits, beauties that might--or might not--be able to be transplanted back to the council's city. The following study of the Laws attempts to do something of the same thing, to read Plato's dialogue as, in effect, a foreign country, through which readers are led as if they were on a mission for our own Nocturnal Council." --Albert Keith Whitaker, from the Introduction |
Inhalt
The End of the Road | 1 |
Edifying Sod | 21 |
That Old Time Baloney | 39 |
Upholding the Law | 57 |
Union Now and Forever | 73 |
Mixed Drinks | 93 |
Peculiar Institutions | 109 |
Mars and Venus | 127 |
The Blessings of Intolerance | 161 |
Testaments | 181 |
Point of Departure | 197 |
Conclusion | 207 |
Appendix OneStudy Questions Chapter One | 211 |
235 | |
243 | |
Doctor of Philosophy | 145 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
Argument and Action Aristotle atheists Athenian stranger belief best regime Book Five Book Four Book Seven Book Six Book Three Book Twelve cave Chapter civic claim concern contemporary conversation Cretan Crete democracy dialogue discussion divine dying person example free doctor friendship goal gods homosexual honor human impious injustice innovation interlocutors justice Kennewick Kleinias and Megillus Knossos Kronos lawgiver least legislation liberal democracy live marriage modern moral Mount Dikte myth nature Nicomachean Ethics noble nocturnal council observe offers oldest one's Pangle parents perfect citizen perfect lawfulness philosopher Plato's Laws pleasure political community prelude problem prudence punishment question readers reason rulers ruling offices seems sense shame sheep dogs slavery slaves slavish doctor Socrates someone sort soul Sparta speak stranger calls stranger proposes stranger says Strauss teaches things titles to rule unjust virtue whole words Zeus