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    Crito
    Crito
    Crito
    Ebook43 pages21 minutes

    Crito

    By Plato

    3.5/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1920
    Author

    Plato

    Plato (aprox. 424-327 BC), a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, is commonly regarded as the centermost figure of Western philosophy. During the Classical period of Ancient Greece he was based in Athens where he founded his Academy and created the Platonist school of thought. His works are among the most influential in Western history, commanding interest and challenging readers of every era and background since they were composed.

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    Reviews for Crito

    3.5/5

    3 ratings3 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Less interesting than the Apology.
    • 5/5
      Poetic and fervent in nature. It is such a shame that this breaks off in a fragment. Still, short and sweet.
    • 3/5
      So here in the dialog often thought of as the companion to the Apology, we have a very different Socrates. Where the Apology shows him testing the boundaries and ideals of a man's relationship with community/state/law, the Crito brings an absolutist Socrates to the conversation. Here the ideas of citizenship are examined...entirely from the viewpoint of the state, and the individual's interests are entirely subjugated to the desires of the state. Where in Apology we see a man claiming relief against a misguided and repressive state, in Crito we find a man willing to kill himself simply to go along.

      Here we can begin to argue our own points on the role of an individual in a community, but setting our personal ideas aside to some extent, I think we might agree on a couple of points:

      #1: The attitude of complete subjugation to the state as expressed in Crito isn't something most of us would personally be able or willing to adopt.

      #2: Given that many/most/all/some would not obey, a system dependent upon such obedience is probably flawed, perhaps fatally so.

      No modern state has a pure form of this government today, but the USA comes the closest. Of course, we spend an enormous amount of resources to bring individuals into line with the laws, and just as much to constantly test, create, and reform laws to cause as little friction with individual life.

      [I personally would suggest a system where the viewpoint isn't that of a top-down government, but a body politic composed of individual interests. There are some functions all citizens require, regardless of whether or not they agree. There are some few interests where all agree. There are many where the vast majority agree. The rest is largely well-intentioned meddling and ill-intentioned fraud and thievery.]

      This struggle between the individual and the state, between the conscious of a man, and the will of the group is something which arises again and again. I'm not sure Crito does much to help the student figure out these problems.

    Book preview

    Crito - Plato

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    Crito, by Plato

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    Title: Crito

    Author: Plato

    Release Date: March, 1999 [Etext #1657]

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    [This HTML edition was first posted on March 22, 2003]

    Edition: 10

    Language: English

    *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OF CRITO, BY PLATO ***

    This eBook was converted to HTML, with additional editing, by Jose Menendez from the text edition produced by Sue Asscher.

    CRITO

    BY

    PLATO

    TRANSLATED BY BENJAMIN JOWETT

    INTRODUCTION

    The Crito seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in one light only, not as the philosopher, fulfilling a divine mission and trusting in the will of heaven, but simply as the good citizen, who having been unjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the laws of the state . . .

    The days of Socrates are drawing to a close; the fatal ship has been seen off Sunium, as he is informed by his aged friend and contemporary Crito, who visits him before the dawn has broken; he himself has been warned in a dream that on the third day he must depart. Time is precious, and Crito has come early in order to gain his consent to a plan of escape. This can be easily accomplished by his friends, who will incur no danger in making the attempt to save him, but will be disgraced for ever if they allow him to perish. He should think of his duty to his children, and not play into the hands of his enemies. Money is already provided by Crito as well as by Simmias and others, and he will have no difficulty in finding friends in Thessaly and other places.

    Socrates is afraid that Crito is but pressing upon him the opinions of the many; whereas, all

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