PREVIEW: Symposium #11 | The Republic of Cicero

After a brief discussion of Cicero’s political career and of his philosophical commitments, we focus on Cicero’s Republic. We begin with Cicero’s criticism of the Epicurean approach to Politics. Then, we proceed to discuss the problems with simple form of governments, and the desirability of a republican system of institutional checks and balances. We move to a discussion of the nature of justice and the salience of laws for maintaining a social order. We end with a discussion of the dream of Scipio, the beautiful ending of Cicero’s text.