Anaya Nolan
Socrates' refusal to break the law is a central theme in Plato's *Crito*. In the dialogue, Socrates' friend Crito offers to help him escape his death sentence, but Socrates refuses. Socrates believes that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to the law. He also argues that he would be more guilty than most of breaking the law, as he has, until now, endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Socrates' satisfaction with the laws | Socrates has expressed great satisfaction with the laws until now |
| The social contract | Plato introduces a social contract that binds citizens to the laws |
| The laws' argument | Socrates has had every opportunity to leave or disagree, and the laws have made no effort to deceive him |
| Socrates' endorsement of Athenian law | Socrates has endorsed Athenian law and the Athenian way of life |
| Socrates' lack of travel | Unlike most Athenians, Socrates has rarely travelled or acquainted himself with the customs or laws of other people |
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What You'll Learn
Socrates' endorsement of Athenian Law
Socrates refused to break the law because he believed that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws. In *Crito*, Plato writes that Socrates refused his friends' offer to help him escape execution, saying:
> Are you not intending by this thing you are trying to do, to destroy us, the laws, and the entire state, so far as in you lies?
Socrates had previously endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life. He had only left Athens on a handful of occasions: once to attend a festival, and the other times to do military service in wars on behalf of the state. Unlike most Athenians, Socrates had never travelled or acquainted himself with the customs or laws of other people. He had been perfectly happy in Athens.
Plato introduces a kind of social contract that binds the citizens to the Laws. However, we should be wary of equating this social contract theory with our modern, liberal notion of the social contract, as presented by Rousseau.
Socrates also had obligations to raise and educate his sons, who would be fatherless if he were executed. In passively accepting his unjust fate, Socrates would be giving his enemies what they wanted, allowing evil to triumph.
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The social contract
Socrates refused to break the law because he believed that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws. In Plato's *Crito*, Socrates says to his friend Crito:
> Are you not intending by this thing you are trying to do, to destroy us, the laws, and the entire state, so far as in you lies?
Socrates also believed that he would be more guilty than most if he broke the law, because he had, until then, endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life. He had only left Athens on a handful of occasions—once to attend a festival, and the other times to do military service in wars on behalf of the state. Unlike most Athenians, Socrates had never travelled or acquainted himself with the customs or laws of other people: he had been perfectly happy in Athens.
Socrates also had obligations to raise and educate his sons, who would be fatherless if he was executed. In passively accepting his unjust fate, Socrates would be giving his enemies what they wanted, allowing evil to triumph.
Plato introduces a kind of social contract that binds the citizens to the Laws. However, we should be wary of equating this social contract theory with our modern, liberal notion of the social contract, as presented by Rousseau.
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The cohesion of the city
Socrates refused to break the law because he believed that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws. In Plato's *Crito*, Socrates refused his friends' offer to help him escape execution because he believed that escaping punishment would be an unjust act. Socrates had previously endorsed Athenian law and the Athenian way of life, and had only left Athens on a handful of occasions. If he were to try to escape, he would be breaking the laws rather than following just actions. Socrates also believed that if he were to escape, he would become a laughing-stock, as he had previously expressed great satisfaction with the laws.
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The consequences of breaking the law
Socrates refused to break the law because he believed that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws. He argued that if he were to try to escape punishment, he would be breaking the laws rather than following just actions. Socrates had previously endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life, and so would be more guilty than most if he were to break the law.
If an individual breaks the law, they may face legal consequences such as fines, community service, or imprisonment. The severity of the punishment will depend on the nature of the offence and the jurisdiction in which it occurred. Breaking the law can also have social and personal consequences. An individual may lose their reputation, their relationships, or their job. They may also face difficulties in finding employment or housing in the future due to their criminal record.
Breaking the law can also have wider societal impacts. It can lead to a breakdown in social order and trust, as well as a loss of faith in the justice system. This can have a detrimental effect on communities and the functioning of society as a whole.
In conclusion, the consequences of breaking the law can be significant and wide-ranging. While there may be times when breaking the law is justified, such as in cases of civil disobedience or self-defence, it is important to carefully consider the potential impacts and act in a way that is responsible and ethical.
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The unjust nature of breaking the law
Socrates refused to break the law, even when it meant his death, because he believed that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws. In Plato's *Crito*, Socrates says to his friend Crito, who offers to help him escape execution:
> Are you not intending by this thing you are trying to do, to destroy us, the laws, and the entire state, so far as in you lies?
Socrates believed that escaping punishment would be unjust in itself, and that he would be more guilty than most because he had, until then, endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life. He had only left Athens on a handful of occasions, and had never travelled or acquainted himself with the customs or laws of other people.
Socrates also believed that if he were to escape, he would become a laughing-stock, as he had previously expressed great satisfaction with the Laws. Plato introduces a kind of social contract that binds the citizens to the Laws.
Socrates' refusal to break the law was not without its critics. Crito points out that if Socrates is executed, then he and others will lose an irreplaceable friend. People will wonder why Socrates’ friends didn't do more to save his life when they had the means to do so. Socrates also has obligations to raise and educate his sons, who will be fatherless if he is executed. Finally, in passively accepting his unjust fate, Socrates will be giving his enemies what they want, allowing evil to triumph.
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Frequently asked questions
Socrates refuses to break the law because he believes that the cohesion of the city and its whole existence depends on obedience to laws.
Socrates has only left Athens on a handful of occasions and has never travelled or acquainted himself with the customs or laws of other people. He has been perfectly happy in Athens and has endorsed Athenian Law and the Athenian way of life.
If Socrates were to try to escape, he would be breaking the law rather than following any just actions. He would also be going against his previous agreement with the laws, which would make him a laughing-stock.
