Law, Custom, and Legislation

Where it surfaces

• Cratylus

  The conventionalist vs. naturalist debate mirrors broader questions about social and legal norms.

• Cratylus

  The discussion of legislators and the correctness of names parallels the idea of laws being either natural or conventional.

• On the Decline of Greek Literature

  The chapter touches on how political freedom and national character influence literary excellence, and how their absence contributed to decline.

• Euthyphro

  The case involves Athenian laws regarding murder and impiety, and Euthyphro's action challenges traditional family loyalties and legal customs.

• Crito

  The dialogue explores the social contract between the citizen and the state, emphasizing the duty to obey laws even when they are applied unfairly.

• Crito

  The dialogue personifies the Laws of Athens, emphasizing the citizen's duty to obey them as a binding social contract.

• Book II

  Justice is described as a compromise enforced by law, arising from the inability to do injustice with impunity.

• Critias

  Critias details the laws of Atlantis inscribed on a pillar of orichalcum, the oath-taking rituals, and the judicial procedures among the ten kings.

• Sophist

  The sophist's role in shaping opinion and convention is contrasted with the philosopher's concern for objective reality.

• Statesman

  The Stranger critiques the rigidity of written laws and argues that the wise ruler should govern with flexible knowledge rather than being bound by fixed statutes.

• Introduction and Analysis

  Explores the tension between fixed law and the living will of a wise ruler, and the role of the legislator in adapting laws to individuals.

• Statesman

  The chapter explores the role of written laws and customs as approximations to true governance, and the consequences of ruling with or without law.

• Laws

  The chapter explores the purpose of law in cultivating virtue and maintaining order.

• Introduction and Analysis

  Focuses on the legislator's duty to define good and evil, the importance of laws as models for writing, and the process of appointing magistrates and guardians of the law.

• The Preamble

  Discusses the legislator's role in remedying injustice, punishing crimes, and establishing laws for homicide, orphans, and property disputes.

• Excursus on the Relation of the Laws of Plato to the Institutions of Crete and Lacedaemon and to the Laws and Constitution of Athens

  The chapter extensively analyzes Plato's legal principles, including the treatment of crimes, punishment, and the structure of the Magnesian constitution.

• Laws

  The chapter extensively discusses the legislator's role in creating laws that persuade citizens to virtue, including prefaces, penalties, and the definition of moderation.

• Book I

  The Athenian Stranger argues that laws should aim at virtue, ordering human goods with a view to the divine and mind, and that the legislator must oversee all aspects of life.

• Book III

  The Athenian Stranger emphasizes the legislator's role in distributing honor and maintaining balance to prevent tyranny.

• Book IV

  The Athenian Stranger emphasizes the legislator's role in using persuasive prefaces and precise definitions to guide citizens toward virtue, contrasting with mere commands and penalties.

• Book V

  The Athenian Stranger extensively discusses the legislator's role in determining honors, wealth limits, and the division of the city, emphasizing obedience to laws as the highest virtue.

• Book VI

  The chapter extensively details the legislative framework for the ideal city, including the division of the state, the role of officers, and the process for amending laws over time.

• Book VII

  The chapter examines the limits of legislation in regulating private habits and the need for praise and blame alongside formal laws, especially regarding education and hunting.

• Book VIII

  The chapter discusses how laws should regulate love, wealth, and military practices to foster a virtuous state.

• Book IX

  The chapter focuses on the role of the legislator in crafting laws that educate and improve citizens, with preludes to exhort criminals and punishments designed for betterment or removal.

• Book X

  Laws are proposed to prohibit private religious rites and to punish impiety, reinforcing state control over worship.

• Book XI

  The chapter is a detailed legislative discourse covering marriage, inheritance, slander, and property, emphasizing the role of law in maintaining social order.

• Book XII

  The chapter is a detailed legislative code covering military conduct, funerals, and the reception of strangers, emphasizing the need for precise and enduring laws.

• Appendix I

  The discussion touches on the proper rule of men and the idea that virtue, not tyrannical power, should be the aim of individuals and states.

• Endnotes

  Numerous citations to the Laws and Aristotle's Politics highlight discussions on legal systems, governance, and societal norms.