Crito, Justice, and Allegiance to the City-State
Plato’s Crito takes place inside of Socrates’ jail cell after his conviction of corrupting the youth. Socrates was unjustly given the death sentence and will be forced to drink hemlock, a deadly poison, in two days. Socrates discusses, with his wealthy friend Crito, whether it is just or unjust to escape from jail and consequently, break the law. It is important to remember that Socrates is believed to be innocent by Crito and Himself because if Socrates was guilty than it would be obviously unjust to escape. Crito attempts to convince Socrates to escape jail and gives him a dozen reasons why he must escape; however, Socrates gives counters for reasons why he cannot escape with specific focus …show more content…
The first reason is weekend because it means Socrates cares about what the common people think of him. Even though he tells Crito “In that case, good sir, we should not at all take into account here what most people will say about us,” (Crito, Stephanus page 48a). However later in the dialogue, Socrates states, “[They] will look at you with suspicion as a destroyer of laws” (Crito, 53 b). Socrates almost invalidates this argument completely through his constant contradiction. The next reason is the most important to him in that it complies with his ideology the most. According to Socrates, when a boy reaches the age of manhood he must decide whether he wants to leave the state in which he grew up in. To leave the state means he finds the laws of that state fundamentally unjust and he must go elsewhere to find a state with more just laws. Socrates chose to live in Athens and in turn chose to follow the laws of Athens, not just the laws he found to be just, but all of the laws. Personally, Socrates last argument is the strongest that if one can decide which laws to follow and which to break the entire state collapses. One must either accept all of the laws and legal systems of a state or they must find a state where one agrees with all
Plato’s Crito takes place inside of Socrates’ jail cell after his conviction of corrupting the youth. Socrates was unjustly given the death sentence and will be forced to drink hemlock, a deadly poison, in two days. Socrates discusses, with his wealthy friend Crito, whether it is just or unjust to escape from jail and consequently, break the law. It is important to remember that Socrates is believed to be innocent by Crito and Himself because if Socrates was guilty than it would be obviously unjust to escape. Crito attempts to convince Socrates to escape jail and gives him a dozen reasons why he must escape; however, Socrates gives counters for reasons why he cannot escape with specific focus …show more content…
The first reason is weekend because it means Socrates cares about what the common people think of him. Even though he tells Crito “In that case, good sir, we should not at all take into account here what most people will say about us,” (Crito, Stephanus page 48a). However later in the dialogue, Socrates states, “[They] will look at you with suspicion as a destroyer of laws” (Crito, 53 b). Socrates almost invalidates this argument completely through his constant contradiction. The next reason is the most important to him in that it complies with his ideology the most. According to Socrates, when a boy reaches the age of manhood he must decide whether he wants to leave the state in which he grew up in. To leave the state means he finds the laws of that state fundamentally unjust and he must go elsewhere to find a state with more just laws. Socrates chose to live in Athens and in turn chose to follow the laws of Athens, not just the laws he found to be just, but all of the laws. Personally, Socrates last argument is the strongest that if one can decide which laws to follow and which to break the entire state collapses. One must either accept all of the laws and legal systems of a state or they must find a state where one agrees with all