What is Socrates' conception of the relationship between the individual and the State or Laws, as shown in the Crito? .
2. How is this seen in the example of his own life?.
3. What inconsistencies are there with his views in the Apology, and how might .
these be accounted for?.
Response .
The Crito is in many ways a confusing and erratic dialogue, with Socrates and Crito at odds over what many would see to be a straightforward proposal - that Socrates should escape from prison. The potential frustration of the dialogue is heightened greatly for the reader as we see the opportunity that Socrates has been fortunate enough to receive and yet still disregard, with his execution postponed until the delayed return of the annual mission to Delos.
Essentially, the Crito is a discussion of the idea of one's duty to the State. One might say that it makes for somewhat odd reading, considering that Socrates reaction to Crito's argument is perverse to that which one would believe is fitting for him as a character - having read the Apology and following the arguments of both Socrates himself and those of his three accusers, Meletus, Anytus and Lycon, the reader may feel as though Socrates has been wrongly punished and deserves justice. However, Socrates has a different view to most Athenians - they saw revenge as a duty; Socrates did not see the use in this - going by the idea that an eye for an eye will only leave the world blind. His duty was to the state, and he had no right to escape his imprisonment simply because this punishment has been inflicted on him. In his discussions with Crito, Socrates states his belief that "it is never right to commit injustice or return injustice or defend one's self against injury by retaliation". This makes up the first element of his view on the relationship between the individual, ie. himself, and the State and its Laws.
As Socrates begins to employ the Socratic Method which we come to know well in the Euthyphro, he personifies the laws of the State of Athens, highlighting the way in which they 'speak' to him.
