The Psychology and Theology in Plato's Laws

Availing the kinematics, Plato defines soul as self-movement to demonstrate that soul takes priority over body. That Plato argues for the priority of soul and its related things is just to stress that recognizing soul is more important than recognizing the physical world. Through a minute reading of the tenth book of the Laws, this paper has a survey of how Plato constructs his theology by using the psychology, and how he equates souls with the whole virtue to gods, on the basis of which, it further explores how Plato succeeds in resetting the foundation of legislation by making philosophy the cornerstone of theology. Plato's "theology" pays special attention to soul and nous. And the "divine law" based on this kind of "theology" aims actually at the perfection of soul rather than the satisfaction of material needs. By showing that legislative philosopher constructs theology with the help of philosophy and carrying out a highest education to legislators, Plato not only criticizes the atheism and immoderation of thoughts of natural philosophers, but also finds a proper place for philosophy in the city.