{"product_id":"platos-second-republic-9780691233130","title":"Plato's Second Republic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn argument for why Plato’s \u003ci\u003eLaws\u003c\/i\u003e can be considered his most important political dialogue\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003ePlato's Second Republic,\u003c\/i\u003e André Laks argues that the \u003ci\u003eLaws\u003c\/i\u003e, Plato’s last and longest dialogue, is also his most important political work, surpassing the \u003ci\u003eRepublic \u003c\/i\u003ein historical relevance. Laks offers a thorough reappraisal of this less renowned text, and examines how it provides a critical foundation for the principles of lawmaking. In doing so, he makes clear the tremendous impact the \u003ci\u003eLaws\u003c\/i\u003e had not only on political philosophy, but also on modern political history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLaks shows how the four central ideas in the \u003ci\u003eLaws\u003c\/i\u003e—the corruptibility of unchecked power, the rule of law, a “middle” constitution, and the political necessity of legislative preambles—are articulated within an intricate and masterful literary architecture. He reveals how the work develops a theological conception of law anchored in political ideas about a god, divine reason, that is the measure of political order. Laks’s reading opens a complex analysis of the relationships between rulers and citizens; their roles in a political system; the power of reason and persuasion, as opposed to force, in commanding obedience; and the place of freedom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlato's Second Republic\u003c\/i\u003e presents a sophisticated reevaluation of a philosophical work that has exerted an enormous if often hidden influence even into the present day.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"André Laks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42959860203638,"sku":"9780691233130","price":37.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1374\/6550\/files\/CoreSourceHub_4adb91fc-2f8b-44c9-8300-1ddb2f8eb088.jpg?v=1767779074","url":"https:\/\/ingramacademic.com\/products\/platos-second-republic-9780691233130","provider":"Ingram Academic \u0026 Professional","version":"1.0","type":"link"}