Plato's "Social Contract"

Paper Summary:

In the dialogue Crito, Plato represents a debate between Socrates and his friend Crito on the subject of whether or not Socrates should flee Athens and the unjust death sentence imposed upon him by the Athenian state. Socrates' answer is of interest both philosophically and politically as it theorizes the existence of a form of "social contract" between the individual and the society of which he/she is a part that overrides any private or personal conception of justice. From a personal perspective, while Socrates has persuaded me of the validity of his argument, I do not believe it would find wide acceptance in contemporary society. This paper will argue that the key issue here is the conflict between public and private justice. In a society with a strong civic culture, the former would dominate, while in a fragmented society the latter form of justice would prevail.

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