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| Part of the series on: The Dialogues of Plato |
| Early dialogues: |
| Apology – Charmides – Crito |
| Euthyphro – First Alcibiades |
| Hippias Major – Hippias Minor |
| Ion – Laches – Lysis |
| Transitional & middle dialogues: |
| Cratylus – Euthydemus – Gorgias |
| Menexenus – Meno – Phaedo |
| Protagoras – Symposium |
| Later middle dialogues: |
| The Republic – Phaedrus |
| Parmenides – Theaetetus |
| Late dialogues: |
| Timaeus – Critias |
| The Sophist – The Statesman |
| Philebus – Laws |
| Of doubtful authenticity: |
| Clitophon – Epinomis |
| Epistles – Hipparchus |
| Minos – Rival Lovers |
| Second Alcibiades – Theages |
The Crito (IPA [kriːtɔːn]; in English usually [ˈkɹiːtɘʊː] [KREE-to]) is a short but important dialogue by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The Charmides ( Ancient Greek:) is a Dialogue of Plato, in which Socrates engages a handsome and popular boy in a conversation about the meaning of Euthyphro is one of Plato 's early dialogues dated to after 399 BCE. The First Alcibiades or Alcibiades I, a dialogue featuring Alcibiades in conversation with Socrates, is ascribed to Plato, although scholars Hippias Major (or What is Beauty) is one of the dialogues of Plato. Hippias Minor (or On Lying) is thought to be one of Plato 's early works In Plato 's Ion ( Greek:) Socrates discusses with the title character the question of whether the Rhapsode, a professional performer Laches, also known as Courage, is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato, and concerns the topic of Courage. Lysis is a dialogue of Plato which discusses the nature of Friendship. Cratylus ( Greek: Κράτυλος is the name of a dialogue by Plato. Euthydemus (Euthydemos written 380 BCE is dialogue by Plato which satirizes the Logical fallacies of the Sophists. Gorgias is an important Socratic Dialogue in which Plato sets the rhetorician, whose specialty is persuasion in opposition to the Philosopher The Menexenus (Greek Μενέξενоς is a Socratic dialogue of Plato traditionally included in the seventh tetralogy along with the Greater Meno is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. Written in the Socratic dialectic style, it attempts to determine the definition of Virtue Plato 's Phaedo (ˈfiːdoʊ Greek: Φαίδων, Phaidon) is one of the great Dialogues of his middle period along with Protagoras is a Dialogue of Plato. The main Argument is between the elderly Protagoras, a celebrated Sophist, and The Symposium is a philosophical dialogue written by Plato sometime after 385 BC The Republic ( Greek: / Politeía, meaning "political system" Latin: Res Publica, meaning "public business" or The Phaedrus ( Greek: Φαίδρος written by Plato, is a dialogue between Plato's main Protagonist, Socrates, and Phaedrus an Parmenides is one of the Dialogues of Plato. It is perhaps Plato 's most challenging dialogue The Theætetus ( Greek: Θεαίτητος is one of Plato 's dialogues concerning the nature of knowledge. Timaeus ( Greek: Τίμαιος, Timaios) is a theoretical treatise of Plato in the form of a Socratic dialogue, written Critias, one of Plato 's late Dialogues contains the story of the mighty island kingdom Atlantis and its attempt to conquer Athens, The Sophist ( Greek: Σοφιστής) is one of the late Dialogues of Plato, which was written much later than the Parmenides The Statesman, or Politikos in Greek and Politicus in Latin, is a four part dialogue contained within the work of Plato. Philebus (often called The Philebus) is among the last of the late Socratic dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The Laws is Plato 's last and longest Dialogue. The question asked at the beginning is not "What is law?" as one would expect- that is the question The Clitophon (also Cleitophon) is a dialogue generally ascribed to Plato, though there is some disagreement regarding its Authenticity The Epinomis ( Greek:) is a dialogue in the style of Plato and traditionally included among Plato's works The Epistles of Plato are a series of thirteen letters traditionally included in the Platonic corpus The Hipparchus is a dialogue attributed to the classical Greek philosopher and writer Plato. Minos is one of the dialogues of Plato, featuring Socrates and a Companion Rival Lovers ( Greek:) is a Socratic dialogue included in the traditional corpus of Plato 's works though its authenticity has been doubted The Second Alcibiades or Alcibiades II is a dialogue ascribed to Plato, featuring Alcibiades conversing with Socrates, Theages is one of the dialogues of Plato, featuring Demodocus, Socrates and Theages. A dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog) is a reciprocal Conversation between two or more entities. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the end of Hellenistic Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece It is a conversation between Socrates and his wealthy friend Crito regarding justice (dikē), injustice (adikia), and the appropriate response to injustice. SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Crito of Alopece, a Deme of Athens, was a faithful probably life-long companion of Socrates. Socrates thinks that injustice may not be answered with injustice, and refuses Crito's offer to finance his escape from prison. This dialogue contains an ancient statement of the social contract theory of government. Social contract describes a broad class of republican theories whose subjects are implied agreements by which people form Nations and maintain a Social order
Contents |
Introduction
The dialogue begins with Socrates waking up to the presence of Crito in his prison cell. When Socrates expresses surprise that the guard has let him in at such an early hour, Crito informs Socrates that he knows the guard well and has done him a certain benefaction.
Crito has bad news for Socrates. He tells him that there are eyewitness reports that the ship has come in from Delos, and that tomorrow Socrates will be executed. The island of Delos ( Greek: Δήλος Dhilos) isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos Socrates rebuffs the report, saying he has had a dream - a vision of a woman in a white cloak telling him that on the third day hence he will go to Phthia, which is a reference to the Iliad. Phthia may also refer to Phthia of Epirus, the mother of Pyrrhus of Epirus. The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient Socrates says that the meaning of this is perfectly clear - it will be three days until he dies.
Crito does not allow Socrates to elaborate the meaning of the dream, but only calls him daimonic; Crito has arrived at this early hour to save Socrates from death. Crito tells Socrates that if he follows through with the execution, people will assume that Crito and friends were too cheap to finance an escape. Crito's worries suggest that buying one's way out of prison was so routine that people not only didn't frown on it, but even expected it.
More preludes
Socrates refuses Crito's initial offer to pay off potential snitches, and Crito protests that the informers ("sychophants") are cheaply bought. He adds that if Socrates is afraid of depleting Crito's account, there are foreigners (xenoi), Simmias and Cebes, who have come to town with money. Xenos ( Greek: ξένος, xénos, plural xenoi) is a word used in Ancient Greek from Homer onwards that has a wide gradient Simmias of Thebes ( Greek: Σιμμίας lived late 5th century BCE&ndashearly 4th century BCE was a disciple of Socrates, and a friend of Cebes Cebes of Thebes was a disciple of Socrates and Philolaus, and a friend of Simmias of Thebes.
Crito then presents the moral view of the common man; a father has an obligation to nurture and educate his children, and should avoid orphaning them if at all possible. He tells Socrates that if his sons do not meet with the usual fate of orphans, it will be no thanks to him. Crito does not offer to see personally to the children's care, however. Crito adds that the trial should never have taken place and might have been managed differently. He says that the failure to escape will be a ridiculous climax to the whole affair, and caused by shameful cowardice of Socrates' friends (45d,e).
Socrates tells Crito that he is one of those people who must be guided by reason. He expresses contempt for the opinions of the masses of mankind who think irrationally and act randomly. Socrates says that the only person whose opinion is of value is the one who understands justice (47c,d). Money, reputation and feeding children are values of thoughtless men (48c). Socrates then invites Crito to consider the definition of justice, and whether it is ever right to do wrong intentionally.
The argument by analogy
Socrates takes the position that requiting injustice by retaliation or warding off evil by evil is always wrong, and is just as wrong as committing injustice in the first place. Socrates tells Crito that this opinion—that it is wrong not to resist evil—never has been, and never will be held by the vast majority of mankind. He thinks it is an important moral yardstick, adding that people who do not agree on this point have no common ground and must necessarily despise (kataphronein) each other. He says that this premise will be taken as true for the purpose of their discussion (49d).
Crito says he agrees with Socrates, that warding off evil by evil is as wrong as injustice (adikia), but in fact, neither seems to trouble him. Crito has no more qualms about bribing a friend's way out of prison than he had bribing his own way in for a morning visit. Neither man seems to notice that, according to Socrates, they should not even be friends because they are so far apart morally.
Socrates' claim that "resisting evil by any means other than persuasion is evil" is an ancient statement of moral pacifism. Socrates rests its logical defense entirely upon an analogy. He says that a citizen stands in relation to the state as the child does to the parent, as the slave does to his master. He says that the state has brought him into the world (by regulating marriage), nurtured and educated him. Socrates says that he is the offspring ("ek-gonos") and slave ("doulos") of the state and has no right to "destroy" the state by failing to obey it (50e) after it has been so beneficent to him.
Summary of Crito's arguments for escape
- Socrates is endangering the good reputation of his friends. If Socrates is executed, Crito will appear to honor money over friends. Crito considers this reputation shameful and damaging even though it will be the opinion of those who do not know Socrates and Crito adequately, namely, the many. One must respect the opinions of the many because they can bring about great evils.
- Socrates should not worry about Crito's reputation or money. Escape from death is more honorable.
- Socrates has support in other cities, including Thessaly and exile would not be a bad option, although Socrates said in his defense that he would rather die than be exiled. Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly.
- Socrates would be acting unjustly by not fulfilling his parental obligations.
- Socrates would be acting cowardly by not resisting injustices (implying that the court decision and Socrates' subsequent execution are unjust). He would be joining his enemies. He is choosing the "easiest path" instead of the courageous, honorable and virtuous path, which Crito feels is to flee from certain, unjust death.
Socrates' responses
- Public opinion is not important to the decision; the many's ignorance does not allow them to have true choice, and therefore their opinions are of no value to the one who strives after the truth and the good.
- The essential concern is whether to escape would be just.
- One should never do injustice; doing evil to humans/human evil leads to injustice.
- Men, especially those so old as Socrates, should not fear death.
The Laws' arguments
- The Laws are more honorable than one's parents, for they too beget, educate, and nurture their citizens. Just as one should respect the decisions of one's parents, so should one respect the decisions of the Laws, but to an even greater degree. There is confusion as to whether this respect is due to the Laws or due to the fatherland.
- Socrates tacitly agreed to obey the Laws by remaining in Athens after reaching maturity, witnessing how the Laws are structured and how they work and by having raised his children in Athens too.
- Socrates would be seen as a corrupting force wherever he went.
- If one has the ability to choose whether to obey a law, then he is destroying the power of the law. Destroying law is unjust, for men require a community and a community requires law.
- It would put him in a precarious position in the afterlife.
See also
External links
- Jowett's translation of the Crito, at the Internet Classics Archive
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