Laws is Plato's last and longest dialogue. It is generally agreed that Plato wrote this dialogue as an older man, having failed in his effort in Syracuse on the island of Sicily to guide a tyrant's rule, instead having been thrown in prison

The Classical Greek philosopher Plato was instrumental in the development of Western philosophy and science. Plato was born to an aristocratic family and was well-educated. He founded the Academy, one of the first institutions of higher learning, around 385 BC. Plato was highly influenced by his teacher, Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death after being accused of corrupting his young followers. After Socrates' death, Plato recorded several dialogues detailing what he remembered from Socrates' teachings and interactions with others. Almost everything known about Socrates comes from Plato's dialogues. Plato's writings have been revised and interpreted by a variety of publishers.