플라톤
저자플라톤(기원전427~347)은그유명한펠로폰네소스전쟁이시작된지4년째되는해,그리스아테나이에서태어났다.전쟁은기원전404년아테나이의패배로끝났으므로전쟁속에서태어나전쟁의소용돌이속에서성장했다.플라톤집안은비교적상류계급이었고그러한배경의귀족출신젊은이답게정계진출을꿈꾸었지만,믿고따르던스승소크라테스의죽음에정치적인배경이있음을알고철학을통해사회의병폐를극복하기로결심한다.자주외국여행길에올라이집트·남이탈리아·시칠리아등지로떠났던플라톤은기원전4세기초아테나이로돌아와서양대학교의원조라할아카데메이아를열고철학의공동연구,교육,강의를시작했다.그곳을통해뛰어난수학자와높은교양을갖춘정치적인재들,아리스토텔레스같은철학자들을배출하며집필활동에전념한다.주로스승소크라테스가등장해대화를주도하는철학적대화편을집필하는데,그러한대화편이무려25편에달한다.『소크라테스의변론』『크리톤』『이온』『프로타고라스』『메논』『파이돈』『파이드로스』『국가』『향연』『필레보스』『소피스트』『정치가』『티마이오스』『법률』등을남겼다.
옮긴이서문_플라톤,법치국가의모델을제시하다·········································5
주요연대표····························································································9
일러두기······························································································12
내용목차·····························································································13
제1권···································································································24
제2권···································································································75
제3권··································································································119
제4권··································································································174
제5권··································································································214
제6권·································································································252
제7권··································································································315
제8권·································································································383
제9권·································································································426
제10권·······························································································481
제11권·······························································································533
제12권·······························································································580
이것이법치국가의모델이다.
플라톤의『법률』은법을주제로정의로운국가의가능성을모색하는후기대화편이다.이저작은어떻게법적제도를통해서인간의미덕과법적제도를결합시켜서정의를국가공동체에실현시킬수있는지를다룬다.
이런실천철학은정의로운국가에관한아름답고선하고이상적인구상을밝힌다.이것이‘아름다운’것은개인과공동체의조화에바탕을둔국가를건설하기때문이고,‘선한’것은단순히행위를규제하는제도에만초점을둔것이아니라인간의미덕에바탕을둔탁월하고훌륭한윤리적공동체를추구하기때문이고,‘이상적’인것은구체적인법과제도의문제를고심하지만그것이단순히기교적실무에매몰되지않고공동체의보편적인행복을추구하는정치철학적탐구의이념을제안하기때문이다.
『법률』은법적제도의측면에서국가구성의모든요소들을체계화하는점에서(법률기술이나정치기술에관한것이라기보다는)국가철학적이다.따라서『법률』의내용은개인의미덕에서국가운영에관한실천원리들을총괄한다.
하루종일쉬지않고전개되는이대화는크레테인클레이니아스와라케다이몬인메길로스를상대로아테나이의방문객이법률을통한새로운국가건설을제안하고,이를위해서각주제와난제들을차례대로제기하고풀어나가면서법률제도의원리와실용적의미를설득하는방식으로전개된다.어떻게법률제도를중심으로정의롭고행복한국가를구성할수있을까?
이데아의철학자플라톤이
이상과현실정치사이의철학적고뇌를풀기위해
70대를바친최후의역작
12권으로구성된이대화는어떤주제들을다루는가?
먼저대화자들은스파르테와크레테의법에관한논의로시작해서전쟁과내전의문제를어떻게해결해야하는지를검토하기위해서이상적인법치국가를논의할필요가있다고본다.그들은스파르테와크레테의법에관한논의로시작해서술잔치에서절제를훈련하는방식으로술잔치가어떤교육적효과를지니는지,예술에서즐거움을적절한판단기준으로삼아도좋은지,적절한즐거움이란무엇인지를바람직한국가의관점에서조명한다.또한법에관한역사적사례를통해서입법과권력의상관성을다루면서(페르시아의)전제정과(아테나이의)민주정을대비시킨다.그리고민주정이어떻게타락하는지를보여주고새로운국가를건설할필요에부응하는마그네시아라는국가를새식민시에건설하기위한구상을제시한다.새로운국가건설에필요한자연자원과법률의근본적원리를제시하고,5040가구로이루어진(총인구는가구당인원을많이잡더라도5만명을넘지않을것이다)자급자족적인국가를목표로이상적인원리를갖춘국가의얼개를구상한다.이런국가를건설하기위해서무엇보다도입법자가어떻게법률의정당성을증명할수있는지를검토한다.(1-4권)
이어서개인의혼과몸가운데혼의중요성을부각시키면서개인의도덕성에주목하고,범죄를낳는이기심을비판하고,미덕과행복에관한올바른사고를제시한다.새로운국가를구성할시민들을선발하는기준을제시하고,토지를어떻게분배하며,자족적인국가를위해서인구를어떻게제한해야하고,종교를비롯한다양한행사를어떻게이끌고,재산에따른갈등을조절하기위해서재산공유제와네종류의재산등급제를어떻게운용하고,행정단위를어떻게설정해야좋을지검토한다.(5권)
그리고공정하게관리를임명하기위해서어떤관리들을어떻게선출해야하는지를살핀다.최고위직,법률수호자,군관과장군을비롯한다양한관리들을올바른평등을기준으로적절하게선발해야한다.이와함께남녀가함께참여하는공동의장을마련하기위해서공동식사제도를도입하고,결혼과출산을국가의미래를위해서적절하게관리해야한다고제안한다.(6권)
새로운국가에서몸과혼을단련시키는교육은더없이중요하다.체력단련을위한다양한교육을실시하고,여성도평등하게교육받도록해야하며,적절한교과과정에따라서음악과각종경기를익히고,비극과사냥을통해서바람직한혼과건강한몸을지니도록할뿐만아니라체육경기와군사훈련을연결시켜서민첩한몸을단련하는것이국가수호와연결되도록한다.이와함께성욕과관련된문제들에대응하는규범들을통해서무절제와성적혼란을제어하고,경제활동과관련해서농업,경제,무역등을규제하는다양한방안을제안한다.(7권과8권)
지금까지구성적인방식으로제안된제도들에따르는부정적인측면들에주목해국가건설과함께보전에관한문제도대비해야한다.이는법률제도에따라서잘다스려지고미덕을실천하기에유리한나라에서도다양한불법행위가발생할수있기때문이다.따라서형법과관련해서다양한불법행위들과재판절차를제안하는데,정체를전복시키려는반역죄를비롯해다양한살인죄와상해,폭행에관한법과처벌사항들을갖추어야한다.(9권)공동체의종교와관련해서불경죄를엄격하게처벌하고자하는데,특히신에관한오해(신은인간사에무심하다거나제물과기도로쉽게마음을돌릴수있다는생각)를앞세워서무신론을주장하는자들을이론적으로논박할뿐아니라엄하게처벌하고자한다.(10권)
또한재산법과관련해서다양한분쟁을해결할법안을모색하는데,타인의재산을존중하는태도를바탕으로상거래와관련된다양한규제,가족법과관련해서유산,상속,결혼,신분에관한법률들,광인에대한격리와질서를위협할만한희극들에대한검열문제,군복무와관련된규정들,외국여행에대한제한과외교사절단을활용하는방식,감사관의직무에관한규정등을제안한뒤에국가의정체와법률을온전하게보전하기위해서는정상적인업무를총괄하는‘새벽회의’와이런특수한임무를맡은이들에대한특별교육이필요하다고제안한다.논의를이끌어온아테나이의현자는다양한나라의법제도가상이한까닭을밝히고,모든법을위한단하나의목록이미덕이라고지적한다.그는법의수호자는다양한법의사례들에서하나의이데아를볼수있어야하고,용기,절제,지혜라는다양한미덕들이하나임을알아야하고,법의참된본성을알고아름다운행위를본성에따라서판단하고실행할수있어야한다고하면서논의를매듭짓는다.(11권과12권)이런국가는행복한삶의조건이고,기존의국가들은당파지배(민주제,과두제,참주제같은비-정치)에지나지않으며,폭력으로비자발적인피치자들을제멋대로다스릴뿐이다.
공공적인것에대한사고가잘드러나는면을보자.농업을기본적인생산수단으로삼는이국가에서농촌감독관은중요한역할을맡는다.그런데감독관은지배하는자가아니라‘섬기는자’이다.플라톤은잘다스리는것보다잘섬기는것이중요하다고본다.따라서감독관자신이남을섬기는하인이므로자신을위해서하인을둘수없다.
이처럼농촌감독관을비롯한관리들이지배하는자가아니라남을섬긴다고보는사고는정치가정치가를위한것이아니라그행위의대상인피치자의복리를증진시키고그들의행복을추구할수있는장을마련하려는것으로여긴다.어떤물건을만드는사람은그것을자신이쓰기위해서가아니라그것이필요한자를위해서생산한다면,정치적활동은정치가의(시민들에대한)지배가아니라정치공동체라는산물을산출하는봉사행위일것이다.이런까닭에국가를위해서봉사하는관리는선물을받지않고봉사해야한다.(이를어기고사익을추구하는자는사형에처한다.)
공동체적사고는교육,문화적인측면에어떻게나타나는가?새로운국가는교육의중요성을강조하는데,아이를양육하는지침은바른삶을살수있도록이끄는것이다.이때즐거움을추구하거나괴로움을회피하는것이아니라중용의미덕을중시한다.
몸과혼의훌륭함을기르기위해서체력단련과시가교육을일정기간동안받게한다.또한놀이를교육에적절하게활용하는데,이런놀이가개인들의취향에따라서변하는것을바람직하지않다고본다.이는놀이양식이바뀌면다른생활방식을추구하게되고이것은다른제도를요구하기때문이다.이런사고는단일한문화를통해공동체의질서를갖추려는점으로도잘나타난다.체력을단련시키기위해서춤과시가를결합시켜서다양한훈련을하도록하는데,이경우에도춤과노래의특징을변화시키는것을바람직하다고보지않는다.다양한문화가아니라단일하고불변적인문화가국가의질서와통합된문화를가능하게한다고보기때문이다.
(문화적다양성을주장하는현대인들이저마다의시민들이저마다의방법으로저마다의즐거움을누리고자하는것과달리)플라톤시대에는하나의온전한국가에서같은시민들이같은방법으로,같은즐거움을누리는것이행복한삶이라고본다.놀이문화를생활양식을규정하는기초로보기때문에‘완전한’제도가변하는데따른혼란을막기위해서는놀이를비롯한다양한문화,예술에대한검열과제한이필요하다고본다.
이런공동체적사고는쾌락에대한절제에서도잘드러난다.고전기그리스인들은쾌락에무절제한경우를윤리적결함이라고보았다.자신의쾌락과맞서싸워서패배하는자는무절제한자여서수동적인존재에지나지않으므로능동적인미덕을요구하는공적인임무를맡을자격이없다고보았다.이런절제의윤리학에서는쾌락에맞서서승리하는것이행복한삶과지혜를가능하게한다고보았고,몸의아름다움과함께혼의아름다움을추구하는바람직한미덕이라고보았다.
부에대한욕구는시민들이재산에만관심을갖게하고,혼이그날그날의이익에만매달리게한다.금과은에대한만족을모르는욕구는혼을타락시킬뿐이다.
시장에서물건을사고팔때,물건값은하나뿐이라고보았다.따라서물건이좋다고치켜세우거나우수하다고떠들어대는것은금지된다.그리고특정한물건이불균등하면고르고균등하게재분배해야한다.
드문재능을지니고최고의교육을받은소수는필요한것만적정하게선택하고돈벌이에관심을갖지않는다.하지만대다수는한없이욕구하므로자신의혼을무절제한욕구에팔아넘길뿐이다.
국가는상업을제한하는데,상인,임금노동자,여관주인등의상행위를엄격하게규제한다.이는가난과부를모두바람직하다고보지않기때문이다.가난은고통으로혼을파렴치하게하고,부는혼을사치로타락하게한다.
이런사정으로해외무역이제한됨은물론이고시장거래도대규모로이루어지기어려우므로관리들은소매상의수를줄이고소매행위도철저하게감독한다.이는소매업이모든주민에게유익하고,이용하는사회구성원에게해악을덜끼치게해야한다고보기때문이다.
공동체의교육과훈련에서남녀는차별받지않는다.교육과관련해서여자들도똑같이교육받아야한다.이는남녀가합심해서같은목표를추구해야하기때문이다.이를거부하는대부분의국가에대해서반쪽국가에지나지않는다고비판한다.
플라톤은온전한법률제도를갖추고잘다스려지고,미덕을발휘하기에유리한조건들을갖춘나라도불법행위에대한규정과처벌이필요하다고본다.그런데이런형법과처벌의성격과의미는어떤것인가?
법에의한처벌은개인에대한공동체의보복이아니라,벌받는자를더유덕하게,덜사악하게개선하기위한것이라고본다.곧처벌은불의를치유하기위한수단일뿐이다.불의를미워하는점이참된정의를사랑하도록이끌기위해서처벌을가하고자한다.이는불의가즐거움,기개,무지때문에생기는것이라고보고,이런악덕에이끌리는혼대신에훌륭한것에대한믿음이혼을지배하도록할필요가있다고본다.각자의혼을도야함으로써격정,두려움,즐거움,욕구따위가혼을지배하지않도록하는것이바람직하다.처벌은그자체가목표가아니라교정,곧미덕을통해서변화된개인을지향한다.형법과처벌은소극적인규정들이지만이런관점에서해석할때공동체의질서를부정하는개인들을변증법적으로부정함으로써공동체의규범을내면화하고법률적,인륜적시민으로되돌리기위한제도로작용할수있다.
