‘Sens of shame’ and total pedagogy in Plato’s Laws

In this paper, I intend to show that the “sense of shame” can be understood as the foundation of total pedagogy in Plato's Laws. By total pedagogy, I understand the meticulous care with the regulation of life in all its details, in order to make laws persuasive and not simply punitive. To measure the essence of Plato's political project, in this dialogue which is considered his last written one, I turn to the criticisms elaborated by Aristotle in Book II of the Politics. Like Aristotle, I see a strong continuity among the theses developed in the Republic and the political project of a virtuous city in the Laws. Making the virtue of temperance the basic virtue to be promoted and creating the greatest possible unity of the city through singing and dancing in unison would be the antidotes to the greatest evil that can befall political life: the stasis. At the same time, by radiating the virtuous way of life, centered on reason, and honoring the soul, the laws would ensure the happiness of the entire city. At what price?