This brings us to the second aspect of Socrates' conception of the relationship - Athens cannot continue to function without laws, and if Socrates were to disobey the orders of these laws, then he, as a citizen, is therefore implementing the destruction of the laws themselves. Socrates believes the State has served him very well - "Was it not through us that your father married your mother and brought you into this world?". Socrates sees the Laws and the State as parental figures to the citizens of Athens. This is explained to the reader, and indeed also to Crito through the patronising 'voice' of the State: "you did not have equality of rights with your father, to enable you to retaliate, and you were not allowed to answer back when you were scolded nor to hit back when you were beaten, will you be permitted to do it to your country and its Laws, so that if we try to put you to death in the belief that it is just to do so, you on your part will try your hardest to destroy your country and its Laws in return?" In this case, Socrates saw great logic and rationalised that indeed it would be unjust for Socrates, a child of the State and its Laws to retaliate towards his parent.
The third component of Socrates' perception of this relationship is the fact that Socrates has had multiple chances to reject or alter his obligation as a citizen to the State of Athens and its Laws. The first part of this regards the fact that Socrates could have left Athens as a young man if he disliked any of its laws, or the actions of the State yet chose not to. He is therefore, by definition, content with the laws and infrastructure of the Athenian State: "seeing for himself the political organisation of the State and us its Laws, (Socrates) is permitted, if he is not satisfied with us, to take his property and go away wherever he likes." The Laws go on to further demonstrate that "on the other hand, if any one of you stands his ground when he can see how we administer justice and the rest of our public organisation, we hold that by doing so he has in fact undertaken to do anything we tell him; and we maintain that anyone who disobeys is guilty of doing wrong".
