Laws, Plato, Part 2 Of 2, Complete Audiobook

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• published: 18 Oct 2016
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The Laws, Plato's final work, presents itself as a discussion between an elderly Athenian and even more elderly pair of Dorian companions, one from the ancient city of Knossos on the Isle of Crete (formerly the center of the Minonian civilization), and one from the city that was Athen's greatest antagonist, Sparta. All of them are Hellenes, but their cities have not always known friendly relations, and in spite of a certain basic cultural unity, there was also a cultural rift between Ionians (like the Athenians) and Dorians (like the Cretans and Spartans). (This difference in outlook and temperament has been testified to in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War). Some of these differences in custom become significant in the drama of the dialogue. The Athenian claims that his city, in contrast to the others, is especially fond of long speeches. ( These long speeches seem to be the philosophical explanations and discussions that fill the text and accompany the various laws in the form of preludes). Sparta and Crete, in other texts of Plato said to have very old and venerable laws, are said in the Laws to be run like armed camps; the Dorian youth do not experience what the Athenian regards as the proper musical education. The Athenian raises the question of the origin of the laws and customs of the Dorian societies, and although he does not openly question the divine origin claimed for these customs by his companions, his criticisms seem to subtly undermine this claim. He especially calls into question his Cretan companion's understanding of the rationale behind his city's laws. The Cretan's understanding is correct insofar as he claims that the laws should be aimed at the production of virtue in the citizens; but the Cretan's mistake lies in singling out the martial virtue, courage, and neglecting the other virtues that together make up the "whole of virtue". According to the Athenian, it is to all the virtues, the whole of virtue, including justice, moderation and wisdom that the laws should look. This mistake of the character Clinias seems to symbolize the characteristic failings of Crete and Sparta; the lack of musical education in these cities and their too exclusive emphasis on the arts of war. The Athenian is engaged in the tricky business of criticizing his companions' customs. But this is not all; he raises the whole problem of how customs can be fairly evaluated despite the biases of one's upbringing. This problem emerges from the discussion of the institution of symposia, or drinking parties. In many ways the discussion of wine drinking turns out to be a model for the entire discussion of education in the Laws. Since nomos (law or customs) in this text is thought of as principally aimed at the education of the soul in virtue, and since the discussion of wine drinking seems to form the model for the discussion of education, it is fitting that the debate about the customs and laws regarding wine drinking should raise the problem of the fair and proper evaluation of laws and customs in general. This is in fact what happens in the text. Megillus the Spartan expresses his disdain at the Athenian practice of drinking to inebriation at certain religious festivals (eg., the Dionysia). The Athenian notes that it is very easy for people from different cities to cast scorn upon each other's customs, but that this will take the discussion nowhere. Nor can the matter of the value of an institution be decided by the military strength of the city that practices it. Indeed, we must not jump to conclusions from observing customs as they are actually practiced or the imperfect institutions that actually exist; we must consider what such customs or institutions might become were they properly guided. Only then can we determine their true value; and then we can address the question of how, if it is at all possible, to best assure that proper guidance. Laws, Plato, Part 2 Of 2, Complete Audiobook