Platos Conception of Justice and the Question of Human Dignity

This book is the first comprehensive study of Platos conception of justice. The universality of human rights and human dignityrecognized as the source of the formerare among the crucial philosophical problems in modern-day legal orders and in contemporary culture in general. If dignity is genuinely universal, then human beings also possessed it in ancient times. Plato not only perceived human dignity, but a recognition of dignity is also visible in his conception of justice, which forms the core of his philosophy. Platos Republic is consistently interpreted in the book as a treatise on justice, relating to the individual and not the state. The famous myth of the cave is a story about education taking place in the world here and now. The best activity is not contemplation but acting for the benefit of others. Not ideas but individuals are the proper objects of love. Platos philosophy may provide foundations for modern-day human rights protection rather than for totalitarian orders.