Plato studies the political decline of his native city so deeply that he manages to reach conclusions that pertain not only to the specific case that served as the starting point of his inquiries, but also to the Greek nation as a whole and, more broadly, to all of humanity.

By examining the present, he reaches a universal depth and becomes the quintessential shaper of humanity, as he is naturally endowed with a deep vision that allows him to discern the stable and general within the specific case.

For this reason, every era and every nation has seen in Plato a marvelous guide, capable of leading through the harsh pressure of reality to a more comfortable and brighter level of civic life.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]