Platos Beautiful City and the Essence of Politics

(Paperback)

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This inquiry attempts to probe the essence of politics in-itself, something that has been singularly discerned by Plato in Republic, grounded in his theory of universal forms and gradually but fully developed through a consideration of the elements of the City in Speech. Those elements, and the ideal city itself as envisioned in Republic, are immanent within the Second Best City of the Laws, even though presented in a modified way. Plato's Statesman will also be discussed as a means to further illustrate Plato's commitment to the principles conveyed in Republic. This project rests on the premise that Plato's intelligible city is genuinely intended to convey Platos full understanding of the real essence of the polis, not simply the arena of political behavior and governance as we have come to know it, but the essence of what politics universally means and what a political community should objectively seek.

Reviews

This book is a. . . thoughtful study of Plato on political life as presented in "The Republic," "The Laws," and "The Statesman," and as discussed in much contemporary secondary literature. The author has three major themes: the Platonic teaching on the eternal essence of politics is as relevant today as in Platos time; the teaching of "The Republic" on the best city is fully compatible and consistent with the teaching on the second best city of "The Laws"; some of the ideas of "The Republic" and especially "The Laws" contain democratic features (versus the views of Gregory Vlastos, among others). . . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students.

* Choice *
With the calm assurance of someone who has inhabited Plato's dialogues for years, Hammond invites his readers into the high stakes drama of The Republic. This book is an untimely meditation is at least two senses. By focusing on Plato's teaching on the essence of politics, it is out of sync with contemporary resistance to essentialism, especially in politics. By emphasizing the way Plato points out the partiality of time-bound experience, it turns us to take seriously a beautiful city that is eternal and unchanging. In this captivating and often provocative close-reading, Hammond captures the excitement and allure of the philosophical quest. -- Douglas Casson, St. Olaf College

Author Bio

Scott John Hammond is professor of political theory at James Madison University.