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A Problem in Plato’s Laws

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Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science ((BSPS,volume 43))

Abstract

In Book IX of Plato’s Laws a conflict arises between the needs of practical legislation and the Platonic principle that all wrongdoing is involuntary. That there is a conflict seems obvious. For example, our present common law distinction between voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter is important morally as well as legally. And since manslaughter of either sort is wrong, the distinction appears to collapse if all wrongdoing is involuntary.

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© 1976 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland

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Copi, I.M. (1976). A Problem in Plato’s Laws. In: Kasher, A. (eds) Language in Focus: Foundations, Methods and Systems. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 43. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1876-0_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1876-0_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-0645-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-1876-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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