In this careful, illuminating and fascinating book Bobonich demonstrates that Laws marks an important stage in Plato's philosophical development, and constitutes a major contribution to moral and political philosophy ... Bobonich's book is an important contribution. With its help, students of Plato's and Aristotle's moral and political philosophy can now do justice to Laws. * The Philosophical Quarterly *
Bobonich's discussion is rich and dense, and it covers an extremely wide range of topics. Since his interpretation is supported by careful exegesis of many texts and by keen philosophical argument, the result is a book of exceptional importance for our understanding of Plato's work. . . . by far the best account we have of the ethics and political philosophy of the Laws. It is also a major contribution to our understanding of the philosophy of mind and metaphysics of value in Plato's later dialogues. * Charles Kahn, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy *
Over the last decade Professor Bobonich has built up, through a series of significant articles, a reputation as one of the most authoritative writers in English on Plato's Laws and more widely on the psychological and ethical theories of the later dialogues. With this, his first, book he establishes that reputation yet more securely and indeed enhances it. * C. C. W. Taylor, British Journal for the History of Philosophy *
This is by any standards a major work, which does for the later dialogues what Terence Irwin's Plato's Ethics did for the earlier and middle. The comparison is in my view a fair measure not only of its scope, but also of its quality. * C. C. W. Taylor, British Journal for the History of Philosophy *
Professor Bobonich marshals his arguments with subtlety and skill and carefully considers countervailing scholarly interpretations. * Utopian Studies *
... turns on its head the traditional scholarly utopian interpretation of Plato's middle and later work. * Utopian Studies *
... a book that should be of paramount interest to all students of utopian thought ... magisterial in its scope and scholarly in its erudition. * Utopian Studies *
The ambition of Bobonich's project is likely to provoke a great deal of further debate, as much about psychology as about freedom and community, and is what makes the publication of Plato's Utopia Recast a memorable event in Plato scholarship. * Malcolm Schofield, Times Literary Supplement *
Bobonich's study of the Laws (along with related aspects of other post-Republic dialogues, such as Phaedrus and Statesman) is truly brilliant and extraordinarily innovative. There is no doubt but that it will be seen immediately on publication to have revolutionized our understanding of this sprawling, difficult work ... The result is a challenging new view of Platonic politics, based upon the most complete, most insightful account of Plato's moral psychology - and its development - that anyone has yet provided. * John Cooper, Princeton University *
... one of those rare things, a really exciting work of philosophical scholarship, which has me wanting to turn every page ... one of the best things that I have read on Plato for a very long time ... a thoroughly original book, not just in terms of its thesis, but in terms of its strikingly clear approach - which allows fresh meaning to shine out. * Christopher Rowe, University of Durham *
... an extraordinarily ambitious study of Plato's growth as an ethical and political philosopher from the Phaedo to the Laws. Its principal theme is that Plato came to regard the moral psychology and theory of cognition in the IRepublic as a failure in its own terms; that he therefore radically revised his views in the later dialogues; and that these changes reach their culmination in the Laws. This is a work of great scope and boldness, and is bound to be controversial. Whether readers agree with Bobonich or not, they will inevitably learn a great deal by having to come to terms with his admirably detailed and systematic account of Plato's development. * Richard Kraut, Northwestern University *
