Cicero Author of De Republica and De Legibus

Cicero was the greatest scholar of state and law of the Romans.

Cicero lived in 106-43 BC.

Cicero was also a literary expert and orator, and he had also been an advocate.

In many ways Cicero imitated the works of Greek scholars.

This happens from the names of his two very famous books, namely: De Republica (= about the state) and De Legibus (= about law or about laws).

In both books of his writings it is clear that the arrangement imitates the arrangement of those of Plato's books.

But even so their content is of much less value than the books of Plato.

Because Cicero did not show much of his original thoughts.

According to Cicero, the existence of a state is a must and must be based on the human ratio.

Cicero's teachings actually imitated and adapted to the teachings of the Stoics.

The definition of ratio here is meant by Cicero as a pure ratio, which is based on or according to natural law.

So it is not like Epicurus's teachings which consider that the state is, is the result of human action, and its function is only as a tool rather than humans to meet their needs.

Regarding the form of government, Cicero argues that the good form is a form which is a mixture of the three forms of good government as well. It seems that here is meant a mixture of forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy and republic.

Still even though each one of them can take part in the government. presumably Democracy is the opposite of this combined form.

Regarding his opinion on law, Cicero said that good law is the law based on the pure ratio, and therefore positive law must be based on postulates or principles of natural law (pure ratio), otherwise thus, the positive law has no binding power. 

For Cicero, law is the only bond within the state.

Meanwhile, justice can only be sought solely for the purposes of justice itself without being interfered with by certain strings.

However, natural laws with decency or morals based on natural nature cannot be separated from one another.

Thus the teachings of the Stoics always influenced the way of thinking about the state and law. This also applies to Seneca.