Melissa Lane’s newest book, Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political (PUP, 2023) is capturing attention. Praise includes: 

“[A] meticulous new analysis of Plato’s constitutionalism. . .  With the appearance of Melissa Lane’s authoritative Of Rule and Office, debate over the evolution of Plato’s discussion of the vulnerabilities of political office and the various ways in which rule and office might be understood must be nearly at an end.”    (Andrew David Irvine, Times Literary Supplement)

“[A] major contribution to our faltering efforts to understand the challenges of politics across the world” (John Dunn, History of European Ideas)

A “great achievement” written with “extraordinary scrupulousness”: “What Melissa Lane’s book does is to drill down through all the layers, as others have not done, to the political bedrock below” (Christopher Rowe, Mind)

Attention to the political significance of the book includes:

Episode 75 of “Timeless Leadership” podcast with Scott Monty

 “Keeping Democracy Alive” with Burt Cohen on Plato: The Benefits of Acting Justly

“The Political Mike” with Michael Taylor (Episode 122)

“Facepalm America” with Beowulf Rochlen (April 3)