Education, Conflict and Harmony in Book 1 of Plato’s Laws

Book 1 of Plato’s Laws, and particularly the image puppet introduced near its end, has been traditionally interpreted as presenting moral psychology model that underlies educational system delineated by Athenian Stranger, which construes virtue consonance between non–rational rational elements soul. But a different competing conception looms large in Laws 1, victory best part soul psychic conflict. This paper argues Athenian’s education correct conformation originally conflicting forces requires simultaneous presence harmony conflict models 1. Education is turn defined calculation, activity persuasively leads towards consonant reciprocal rapport. By strategically developing his understanding calculation shows how overcomes model, while at same time recognising there some truth to after all integrating it within model.