Work

Laws (dialogue)

Overview

The Laws (Ancient Greek: Νόμοι) is Plato's last and longest dialogue. The conversation depicted in the work's twelve books begins with the question of who is given the credit for establishing a civilization's laws. Its musings on the ethics of government and law have frequently been compared to Plato's more widely read Republic. Some scholars see this as the work of Plato as an older man having failed in his effort to guide the rule of the tyrant Dionysius II of Syracuse. These events are alluded to in the Seventh Letter. The text is noteworthy as the only Platonic dialogue not to feature Socrates.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Philosophers who discussed Laws (dialogue)

• Epictetus
• Eduard Zeller
• Philo
• Plato
• Arthur Schopenhauer
• Philip of Opus
• Women in classical Athens

Related ideas

• Socratic dialogue
• Athens
• Classical Athens
• Gemistos Plethon
• Republic (Plato)
• Isocrates
• Law
• Natural law
• Plato
• Plutarch
• Rome
• Socrates
• Aristotle
• Xenophon
• Zeus
• Sparta
• Crete
• Loeb Classical Library
• Ancient Greece

Place in the tradition

Part of Ancient Greek philosophy.

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