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Author: Plato
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-07-01
Features: The author of this book, Plato, is a representative figure of Greek idealist philosophy. Plato was born in 427 BC and died in 347 BC. "Plato" is likely an epithet, meaning "broad-shouldered and strong" in ancient Greek. His real name was Aristocles. Plato came from an ancient aristocratic family in Athens, with distant ancestors including Codrus, the last king of Athens. His mother, Perictione, was a descendant of Solon. Solon was a renowned figure in European legal history. He was an archon of Athens, belonging to the democratic faction of the commercial slave-owning class, and during his tenure, he enacted a series of legislative reforms known as the "Solonian Reforms." These reforms promoted the development of slave-owning democracy in Athens and the prosperity of the commodity market economy. Plato's father, Ariston, was a democrat who died when Plato was young. Plato had two older brothers, one older sister, and one half-brother. During his youth, Plato received a good education, including cavalry military training. He enjoyed sports, was skilled in painting, had a deep understanding of music, and wrote epic poems and plays. These talents later fully manifested in his entire body of work. Due to his noble background, Plato aspired to engage in political activities in his youth. Athens was the cradle of Greek philosophical thought, with a multitude of schools and prominent philosophers. In this philosophical atmosphere, Plato inevitably became somewhat of a "philosopher," inclined toward abstract thinking. In philosophy, he was influenced by Heraclitus, the Pythagoreans, and Socrates. The stonemason Socrates was an old friend of Plato's family. He was a great philosopher and later known as the "Western Confucius." His philosophy deeply impressed and captivated Plato. Socrates was dissatisfied with the democratic faction in Athens, and the faction condemned Socrates to death through a court trial. As a citizen, Socrates was executed by taking poison. Socrates accepted this method of death. The death of Socrates wounded Plato's heart deeply. He no longer wanted to engage in politics. He wanted to inherit Socrates' legacy and spread Socrates' ideas. Some say that Plato's early works were all records of Socrates' views. Around 387 BC, Plato founded an academy in Athens, which came to be known as the Academy. At the academy, he engaged in teaching and writing, producing a series of dialogues. The harmonious life at the academy lasted only five years before a war ended it. The king of Syracuse invited Plato back again. Soon after, the king and Plato had a conflict. Plato was confined in the royal garden for a year. Eventually, Plato was released. After returning to Athens, Plato devoted himself to teaching and writing. At the age of 80, one day, he attended a friend's wedding banquet and quietly retreated to a corner of the room, sitting silently. When people next saw him, he had left this world. Plato left behind 23 dialogues and 3 letters, while other works attributed to him are either forgeries or of questionable reliability. Why did Plato's works use the "dialogue" form? On one hand, dialogue is a method of debate, or dialectics, which seeks truth by revealing contradictions in the words of the interlocutors. Debate was fashionable among Greek scholars at the time, leading to a "flourishing of schools of thought." On the other hand, dialogue is a literary genre, requiring considerable literary talent, which Plato possessed from his youth. Plato's dialogues total approximately 1.5 million words, with the longest being this book, The Laws, at about 300,000 words. Plato's dialogues on politics and law are mainly in the following three works: The Republic (The State), The Statesman, and The Laws. These dialogues reflect Plato's transition from "rule by the philosopher-king" to "rule by law." The "rule by the philosopher-king" (rule by the wise) was impractical in the diverse Greek city-states, leaving only "rule by law." Plato returned from the heavens to the mortal world. According to scholars who study Plato in the West, The Laws is a late work of Plato. He began writing The Laws at the age of 74. Plato did not leave behind a complete manuscript at the time of his death; at most, there was a draft. The The Laws we see today was published by his student, Philip of Opus, after his death. Philip added his own interpretations during the editing, but due to his limitations, the edited manuscript lacks Plato's humor and has some logically unsound sentences. The Laws consists of 12 books, but some authors include The Epinomis as well, making it 13 books, though it is generally considered to be 12 books. The Laws broadly reflects the establishment, geography, government structure, and election systems of the Greek city-states, particularly Athens. The dialogue covers topics such as law, religion, education, history, philosophy, art, ethics, diplomacy, trade, family, marriage, crafts, and civic life. The first three books primarily discuss the purpose of legislation and the qualities and conditions required of a legislator. Books four to twelve discuss various laws and legal systems respectively. Our two translators based our translation on English, Russian, and Japanese versions (primarily Jowett's English translation) of this monumental and profound classical masterpiece. To accurately convey Plato's thoughts and views, we often referred to multiple foreign-language original texts to ensure the most precise expression. In the entire translation, we hope readers will kindly point out any mistranslations or awkward phrasing. Finally, while writing this short preface, we consulted several domestic experts' works on the life, thought of Plato, and The Laws, and we extend our gratitude to them.