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Plato’s political thought continues to be of enduring interest among classicists, philosophers, political theorists, and intellectual historians. The present volume introduces readers to the topic through a survey of important recent trends in the scholarly literature, focusing on challenges to the authenticity of the Seventh Letter; reassessments of the “Socratic Problem”; democratic readings of the Republic; and the rehabilitation of the Statesman and Laws. It provides an overview of the key methodological issues that must be addressed in interpreting the Platonic dialogues, while also suggesting directions for further research.
John Lombardini, Ph.D. (2009), Princeton University, is the Weingartner Associate Professor of Government and Affiliate Faculty in Classical Studies at William & Mary. His previous monograph, The Politics of Socratic Humor, was published by the University of California Press in 2018.
ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbstractKeywords1 Introduction2 Plato, the Academy, and the Seventh Letter3 Socratic Politics and the Socrates Problem4 Plato as Social Critic: the Republic5 Beyond the Republic: the Statesman and Laws6 Conclusion6 Index
"Lombardini has accomplished a remarkable feat by thoroughly introducing the recent scholarly literature in such a short book. Scholars of Classical Studies, Political Theory, and Ancient Philosophy will find this work a beneficial resource for keeping abreast of recent trends in scholarship on Plato’s political thought."James Besaw in Religious Studies Review 50.3 (2024)"The cross-cutting theme that unites the different sections [of this book] is Plato’s relationship to Athenian democracy. The author does not present an exhaustive review of each topic, but distinguish the “standard” interpretations of scholarship with some challenging works and novel research approaches.(...) the book manages to present a useful and up-to-date introduction to the problems it addresses. The four sections include a reasonably varied bibliography. It is commendable that it manages to do all this in just over 100 pages."Leonardo Rodríguez Acuña in Plato Journal 26 (2025)
