Crito: Duty, Justice, and Obedience to the Law

Introduction

Plato’s Crito is a short but powerful dialogue set in Socrates’ prison cell after his trial. His friend Crito visits him with an urgent plea: escape and avoid execution. Socrates, however, refuses, offering a profound meditation on justice, duty, and the social contract.

This study guide breaks down the key arguments and wisdom within the Crito, making it a crucial reflection on law, morality, and personal integrity.

Summary of the Dialogue

1. Crito’s Plea: The Case for Escape

Crito arrives at dawn, desperate to convince Socrates to flee Athens. His arguments include:

Public Opinion: People will think Crito and Socrates’ other friends were too cowardly or cheap to bribe the guards for his release.
Socrates’ Duty to His Children: He should live to raise and educate them.
Unjust Verdict: The trial was unfair, so Socrates has no moral obligation to accept his sentence.

Crito assures Socrates that friends have arranged a safe escape to Thessaly.

2. Socrates’ Response: A Higher Obligation to Justice

Socrates dismisses concerns about public opinion, stating:

“We should not value all opinions, but only those of the wise and the good.”

The masses are not reliable judges of morality. Only reason and justice should guide one’s actions.

He then presents his main argument:

3. The Social Contract and the Laws of Athens

Socrates imagines the Laws of Athens speaking to him, making the case against escape:

The State as a Parent: Just as a child must obey a parent, a citizen must obey the laws that nurtured him.
Tacit Agreement: By living in Athens his whole life and enjoying its benefits, Socrates has implicitly agreed to its laws—even if they sometimes rule unfairly.
Order vs. Chaos: If individuals disregard laws when inconvenient, the entire legal system collapses.

Thus, to break the law—even an unjust one—would harm the very principles he has lived by.

4. Justice Over Life

Socrates argues that a just life is more valuable than mere survival:

“The most important thing is not life, but the good life.”

If he flees, he would be betraying his lifelong principles, proving his enemies right, and undermining his philosophical mission.

5. The Final Decision

Crito, unable to refute Socrates’ reasoning, falls silent. Socrates calmly accepts his fate, prioritizing justice over self-preservation.

Key Philosophical Themes

1. The Role of Public Opinion

Moral truth is not determined by popular opinion.
One should follow reason, not social pressure.

2. The Social Contract

Socrates introduces a form of contractual ethics—if one benefits from a society, one owes it obedience.
Breaking the law would be an act of injustice.

3. Justice vs. Survival

It is better to suffer injustice than commit injustice.
A good life is defined by virtue, not longevity.

4. The Nature of Civil Disobedience

Socrates chooses obedience, unlike later figures like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., who advocate resisting unjust laws.
This raises the question: Should we always follow the law, or are there times to resist?

Wisdom and Takeaways

Moral integrity matters more than reputation.
We owe something to the societies we live in—but to what extent?
True justice may require suffering rather than retaliation.
Living well means living justly, even if it leads to death.

Conclusion

Crito challenges us to reflect on our duty to the law, the price of integrity, and whether justice always demands obedience. Socrates’ choice remains one of history’s most profound statements on the meaning of principle and honor.