The Laws

"The Laws" is Plato’s last, longest, and, perhaps, most loathed work. The book is a conversation on political philosophy between three elderly men: an unnamed Athenian, a Spartan named Megillus, and a Cretan named Clinias. These men work to create a constitution for Magnesia, a new Cretan colony. The government of Magnesia is a mixture of democratic and authoritarian principles that aim at making all of its citizens happy and virtuous.

Like Plato’s other works on political theory, such as "The Statesman" and "The Republic", "The Laws" is not simply about political thought, but involves extensive discussions on psychology, ethics, theology, epistemology, and metaphysics. However, unlike these other works, "The Laws" combines political philosophy with applied legislation, going into great detail concerning what laws and procedures should be in Magnesia.