" (Hume, 1748) Philosophers such as Locke and Rousseau later developed this idea more completely, but Socrates was the first to propose the notion. .
Of course, the validity of this argument rests on other claims that Socrates has established earlier in the Crito. First, a man should always do what he committed to do, provided what he has committed to is right (49e), and the commitment was given freely and not forced (52e). Commitment can be given by writing, spoken promises, or actions (52d). So, a man that continues to live in a state, such as Athens (51d), gives a commitment to obey the law. (Woozley, 1980, pp.314) This idea lends itself to the obvious assumption that a man ought to fulfill his obligation as a contracting party. Every citizen of a state that willingly accepts its benefits and protections is contractually obligated to obey and uphold the laws of the state. A man does not do this by written words, or by spoken promises (although in some cases this does occur, i.e. military service), but by his actions. "Such a choice, the laws insist, implies a tacit agreement between Socrates and the state of Athens, stipulating that Socrates either obey the laws, or when he deems the laws unjust, persuade the city to act in a more suitable fashion." (Post, 1998) A man makes this promise when he lives the life of a citizen of a state, and ought to be conscious of this. Lavine says of Socrates, " he argued that it would be legally and morally wrong to escape, since every citizen of a state has entered into a social contract to obey its laws. And he also argued that individuals who disobey the laws of their own society tear away at the foundation of group life." (Lavine, 1985, pp.14) Socrates believes it his moral and legal obligation to allow his death sentence to be carried out; to escape from prison would be "unjust" and "morally unjustified". (Kemerling, 2000) .
Thinkers have, of course, given the credit to Socrates for originating the idea, whether they agreed with the contract theory or not.