While maintaining his innocence in the present Socrates acknowledges that if he was given the choice between moral and civil law; he says “I shall obey god rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy.” However, his maintenance of his current state of innocence, separates him from the full practice of civil disobedience. King’s requirements for civil disobedience here refer to the spirit of breaking an unjust law to bring awareness of the moral inconsistencies between the law and morality. Socrates in his punishment practices the same love and acceptance of the consequences but never admits to being guilty. Further there are not only principles of the spirit but specific steps to be appropriately following this spirit of civil disobedience and although Socrates may follow the same spirit as King, he fails to follow the correct
While maintaining his innocence in the present Socrates acknowledges that if he was given the choice between moral and civil law; he says “I shall obey god rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy.” However, his maintenance of his current state of innocence, separates him from the full practice of civil disobedience. King’s requirements for civil disobedience here refer to the spirit of breaking an unjust law to bring awareness of the moral inconsistencies between the law and morality. Socrates in his punishment practices the same love and acceptance of the consequences but never admits to being guilty. Further there are not only principles of the spirit but specific steps to be appropriately following this spirit of civil disobedience and although Socrates may follow the same spirit as King, he fails to follow the correct