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Plato’s CRITO
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Crito, a friend, goes to Socrates in prison, hoping
to convince him to escape, to save his life.
Should he do it?
Socrates’ gives a lengthy argument in response,
in which he concludes he has a duty not to break
the law, and try to escape his punishment.
This dialogue = a model of moral reasoning
– Based on right and wrong
– Based on self-interest
CRITO: On Civil Obedience
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Prologue: 43a-47a Crito says
why he has come to visit
Logos: Socrates’ two
arguments vs. escaping
– Based on right &wrong 47a-53a
• Fair agreement
• Do no harm
– Based on prudential selfinterest 53a-54c
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Epilogue: 54de in which
Socrates accepts his fate
Socrates’ Argument –
I: One should never do wrong
One should do what
reason says is best. 46b
2. Life is not worth living if
our soul* is corrupt. 48ad
3. Our soul is corrupted if
we [knowingly] do
wrong. 49a
4. Therefore we should
never do wrong. 49b
1.
*Defined as conscience or integrity
of conscience.
II: It would be wrong to escape 49b-53a
It is wrong to:
a. return evil for evil;
b. violate a just agreement.
49b
2. If he breaks out, he will
a. do evil [to those who have nurtured you];
b. violate his ‘contract’ with Athens 50a-51b
3. Therefore it is wrong to escape
53a
1.
III. Therefore Socrates should not
do it. 53a (repeated at 54b-c)
1. Never do wrong! + 2. wrong to escape/break law  3. do not escape!
nd
2
argument: In addition,
escape will harm Socrates.
1.
Escape will harm you/your loved ones.
a. There is no better city to go to 53bd
b. It will destroy your life integrity. 53ce
c. It will harm your friends and children
53a, 53e-54c
2.
3.
Therefore it is not best/wise.
54cd
Therefore Socrates should remain, even
if he must die.
54d
Problem of “Moral Anarchy”
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Government depends on people obeying
the laws.
 If people obey only the laws they think are
right, it creates “moral anarchy”—everyone
decides for themselves what laws to obey
or disobey
 Therefore unless you are an anarchist,
you must believe in restricting the right to
act from conscience against the law.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”
 Dr.
King argues that “an unjust law
is no law at all.”
 What makes a law unjust? – what
do you think of his reasons?
 Can Dr. King answer the charge of
being a ‘moral anarchist’?
What is Socrates’ ‘social contract’?
He can vote and participate in Athenian
government and making its laws, i.e. he
has political rights (51b)
 He has inheritance and other rights 50d
 Athens/his country is like his parents, has
cared for and provided (education 50e-51b)
 He is free to leave Athens if he wishes—
but if he stays, he is duty bound to obey its
laws and keep the social contract 51d
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Which duty comes first?
Socrates said in court
that he would not stop
philosophizing, even if
the Athenians ordered
him to stop.
 Suppose Athens
passed a law making
philosophy illegal.
 What should he do?
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“Persuade or obey” 51b, 51e
What does this mean?
 That if he breaks the law, he must do it
openly, and try to persuade the
Athenians to change the law? = justified
civil disobedience, like Dr. King
 Or that if he does not succeed in
persuading the Athenian assembly to
pass the laws he wants, he must obey
whatever laws they pass? = duty to obey
all democratically passed laws
Questions
Does it make a difference, that
Socrates is 70?
 When is civil disobedience justified, if
ever? How do you answer the
argument vs. “moral anarchy”?
 Does Socrates’ “persuade or obey”
doctrine (51bc) give him a way of
dealing with the question if he would
obey a law forbidding philosophy (or
any law he thought was immoral)?
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Moral Choices
When, if ever, is it justified
to break the law?
Should you break the law?
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You make about $75,000 a
year and feel you pay taxes for
many things the government
shouldn’t be involved in,
including health care, bailouts
for banks and other
businesses, and foreign wars
you don’t like.
Your friend says: “Just cheat
on your taxes. I pay just 50%
of what I owe. I figure they’re
stealing the rest from me, so
why pay it?” He shows you
how to ‘adjust’ your return.
Should you break the law?
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Your country is involved
in what you believe is an
unjust war, and you
have been drafted to
serve. Your uncle in
Canada writes, to tell
you that if you decide to
leave the U.S., he “has
a place for you.” Would
it be wrong for you to
break the law, and
immigrate to Canada?
Should you break the law?
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Police are conducting sweeps
to find undocumented workers
and families. Some have been
in the U.S. for twenty years.
If caught, they are deported,
often splitting the family. You
think this violates their human
rights, and is un-Christian.
Should you break the law by
giving aide and encourage
others also to do so? (Massive
resistance and protests might
overthrow the law, though at
the cost of civil disturbance.)
Should you break the law?
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Your city has passed an
ordinance requiring gun
owners to register their
firearms and prohibiting
‘machine’ rifles and pistols.
You think these laws are
unconstitutional, and are
fearful that if you register your
weapons, they will confiscate
your illegal ones.
Should you break the law by
not registering, and encourage
others also to do so? (Massive
resistance and protests might
overthrow the law, though at
the cost of civil disturbance.)