1. The Ring of Gyges

2. Crito

3. What is really important in life
Main Themes
What is really important in life
Civil Disobedience

4. How would you summarize this dialogue?
Crito
How would you summarize this dialogue?

5. Prison where Socrates is awaiting executed
Setting
Prison where Socrates is awaiting executed

6. They have paid off the guards so Socrates can escape
What is Crito’s Plan
They have paid off the guards so Socrates can escape

7. Why does Socrates refuse to escape?
To escape would be disobedient to the Laws
And would lead to the destruction of the State and Society

8. Was the Process Just? The process that Socrates went through was just
We must abide by the verdict even if we do not agree with it
What would happen if every person found guilty refused to follow verdict

9. To disobey the laws of society is to contribute to the destruction of that society

10. Argument (1) The process that Socrates went thru was just
(2) We must obey a verdict of a just process even if we don’t agree with it
Therefore
(3) Socrates must abide by the verdict

11. Popular Opinion Crito cares about what the popular opinion will be
of Socrates
of Crito
Crito argues that we must care about the opinion of the many because they can put us to death

12. Whose opinion should we value?
Gymnastics?
Whose opinion should we value?
The Uninformed Many
The Informed Few

13. Argument (1) The opinion of the many is uinformed
(2) We should not care about the opinion of the uninformed
Therefore
(3) We should not care about the opinion of the uninformed many

14. Argument (1) The opinion of the few is informed
(2) We should care about the opinion of the informed
Therefore
(3) We should care about the opinion of the informed few

15. Who is the only one who can hurt us?
Ourselves

16. Argument (1) Only we can hurt our souls
(2) We hurt our souls when we are unjust
Therefore
(3) We should not be unjust

17. Crito’s Accusations
Crito accuses Socrates of betraying his own life, wife and children if he does not escape
Other cities will welcome him

18. Zeal Socrates tells Crito that our zeal must be for the right cause
Reason must be our guide
Suicide Bombers!

19. Argument (1) It is good to be zealous
(2) But zeal can become misguided
(3) Zeal guided by reason will not become unguided
Therefore
(4) Our zeal should be guided by our reason

20. Good Life v. Long Life
Our goal should be to live a good life not necessarily a long life
Would you do anything for a longer life?

21. Pursuing truth, justice, goodness The greatest improvement of our soul
Good Life
Pursuing truth, justice, goodness
The greatest improvement of our soul

22. Argument (1) Most people want to live a long life
(2) It is better to live a good life
Therefore
(3) Our goal should be to live a good life

23. Why is injustice always wrong?
Because it hurts the one who does it
Only we can hurt ourselves

24. Why is retaliation always wrong?
Because it hurts the one who does it
Only we can hurt ourselves

25. The Importance of Society
Society is necessary for our lives
Society is more important than the individual

26. Argument (1) Society is necessary for our lives
(2) We cannot live without society
Therefore
(3) Society is more important than any individual

27. If you cannot obey society’s laws But never try to destroy it
Love it or Leave it
If you cannot obey society’s laws
Leave it
But never try to destroy it

28. Argument (1) We should obey the law
(2) If we don’t like the law, we should try to change it
(3) If we can’t change it, we should leave
(4) But we should never try to destroy society
Therefore
(5) If we don’t like the laws, we should just leave

29. To be accept punishment if we do not
Social Contract
When we are able to leave and decide to stay we have an implied contract with our society
To obey the laws
To be accept punishment if we do not

30. Argument (1) Society is based upon the social contract
(2) When we can leaven but don’t we agree with the social contract
Therefore
(3) We must obey the laws of our society or accept the punishment for disobedience

31. Change the Laws If we do not agree with the laws of our society
Then work to change them
Democracy

32. He will forfeit his integrity
Socrates’ Integrity
If Socrates escapes he will go against everything his life has stood for
He will forfeit his integrity

33. Argument (1) Socrates has stood for integrity
(2) To disobey the law is to forfeit one’s integrity
Therefore
(3) Socrates must obey the laws or forfeit his integrity

34. How should we live our lives?
Main Question
How should we live our lives?