October 14th 2008 Notes.docx

October 14th, 2008 Lecture ? Notes -Crito -Arguments Socrates gives for staying: -Gratitude -Government has provided Socrates with: -Education -Stability -Security -For these things, when government asks you of something you repay them -For example, going to war as a soldier to fight for country -The question is, how much is repayment? -In order to get government benefit you must make yourself available for government financial aid -Example: Children should be grateful to their parents -Tacit Consent -Obligation to obeying legal or political authority by remaining silent when there is an opportunity to act or change that obligation -If you do not leave or protest, then you are tacitly consenting -Socrates had plenty of opportunity to leave but didn?t, liked it when he was treated well by society, but when not treated well he cannot just leave -One problem with this definition is when someone, circumstantially, cannot leave (not enough money, etc.) -How Socrates responds to this: -Page 29 right hand column -You cannot be selective in what laws you will obey -Brings up theoretical construct of Laws of Athens -Socrates leaving undermines society because he disobeys the laws, by him leaving and disobeying laws means there is no enforcement behind laws, society then has no law -This threatens society and can cause harm -If in Apology Socrates says that he is following laws of his God and not laws of Athens, why does he no escape in Crito? -Page 14 29b5 -It does not necessarily mean that the laws of Athens are unjust, but the people who interpret them ? if the laws are there, they are just, and you don?t repay justice with an injustice