The Laws

Table of Contents

The Laws Preface Acknowledgments

Introduction
Utopianism Plato's Life and Work Plato's Political Thought The Republic
The Statesman
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

1. 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 The Educational Effect of Drinking Parties

3. The Arts in the Service of Education
The Nature and Purpose of Education how the Arts should reinforce Education Is Pleasure the Proper Criterion in the Arts?
Artistic Censorship in Egypt Justice and Happiness for 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 Summing-up on the Uses of Drink

4. The Lessons of History: 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
Natural Resources The 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
Introduction 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

10. 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 Disrupted Votes
The Election of the Council The Notion of Equality The Executive Committee of the Council Other Officials; Priests The Election of the Expounders Tresurers The Protection of the Territory The Rural Courts How the Country-Wardens are to Live The City-Wardens The Market-Wardens Education Officals 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 Instictive Drives: Food, Drink, Sex Correct Procreation Adultery Registration of Births and Deaths Age Limits

12. Education
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 Come 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 Instuctions to the Minister of Education: the Curriculum Literature A Set Text: Selections from the Laws of Plato
Music Comedy and Tragedy Mathematics Astronomy Hunting: Written and Unwritten Rules again

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 Agricultural Laws Duties to Neighbors 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
Preliminary Discussion Robbery from Temples Procedure in Capital Cases Subversion Treason

17. The Theory of Punishment
Theft: Should all Thefts Attract the Same Punichment?
Philosophical Legislation Justified A 'Terminological Inexactitude'
The Attack on the Distinction between 'Voluntary' and 'Involuntary'
The New Distinction, and the Purpose of Punichment 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

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 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
Respect for Property Removal of Buried Treasure Removal of Property in General The Treatment of Slaves and Freedom

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 Offences Committed by Members of Diplomatic Missions Theft of Public Property Military Service Abandonment of Weapons The Need for 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 Foriegn 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