Plato's Cretan City: A Historical Interpretation of the Laws

is a thorough investigation into the roots of Plato's and a compelling explication of his ideas on legislation and social institutions. A dialogue among three travelers, the proposes a detailed plan for administering a new colony on the island of Crete. In examining this dialogue, Glenn Morrow describes the contemporary Greek institutions in Athens, Crete, and Sparta on which Plato based his model city, and explores the philosopher's proposed regulations concerning property, the family, government, and the administration of justice, education, and religion. He approaches the as both a living document of reform and a philosophical inquiry into humankind's highest earthly duty.