Crito

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 42K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Crito by PlatoAuthor: Plato, 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1999

Editor's review

Crito is a short but weighty early Platonic dialogue, recording Socrates' prison debate with his old friend Crito over whether to escape. There is almost no narrative framing; the force lies entirely in the argument itself: the relation between the city and its laws, the limits of individual obedience to an unjust verdict, and whether returning evil for evil can be justified are all broken into clear steps and advanced one by one. Readers watch Socrates turn emotional appeals into rational questions through hypothesis, inference, and testing. As a public-domain English translation, its language is relatively plain, making it a suitable first entry into Plato's thought and a good companion to the Apology for understanding the full position surrounding Socrates' death. It is short enough for a commute or a single evening, but its argumentative structure rewards rereading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginners who want to approach Plato's original texts but worry about length
Students interested in legal obligation and civil disobedience
Organizers who need a short text for classroom discussion or a reading group
Self-taught philosophy readers who want to train argument analysis

Not a good fit for

Literary readers expecting full plot or character development
Those who want only a summary of Plato's thought and not the original text
Readers impatient with classical philosophical argument and seeking conclusions

Reading tips

Read the Apology first, then this dialogue, to understand the continuity of Socrates' position.
Mark every "if... then..." inference Socrates makes and trace the chain of argument.
After reading, write down the one argument you disagree with most and try to refute it.
Read the dialogue aloud with friends in roles to feel the rhythm of the elenchus.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I understand Crito without a philosophy background?

Yes. This dialogue is short, has only two speakers, and follows a relatively single line of argument, making it one of Plato's more accessible works. It helps to know beforehand that Socrates has been sentenced to death. When you meet unfamiliar personifications of the city and the laws, don't parse every word; grasp the two main threads of obedience and justice.

What is the core dispute in this dialogue?

Crito urges Socrates to escape from prison, and Socrates refuses. The dispute turns on whether an individual is obliged to obey an unjust verdict, whether it is right to answer injustice with injustice, and where the city's laws get their authority over citizens. Socrates ultimately chooses to stay and face execution, grounding his argument in the premise that one must never do wrong.

Is this version in Chinese or English?

Available information indicates that this entry is a public-domain English e-book released by Project Gutenberg, in English. It suits readers with some English reading ability who want direct access to the translation; if English is difficult, read it alongside a reliable Chinese translation.

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About the author

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCE Author

Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher. Reliable details of his life are limited in public sources, and his thought and writings are generally known through later accounts. The library holds 65 of his works, including the multi-volume Republic (Πολιτεία), the Symposium, and the Phaedo. These works are mostly dialogues with Socrates as the central figure, unfolding through question and answer around justice, the governance of the city, love, the soul, and knowledge, combining philosophical inquiry with dramatic literary form. The Republic, which discusses the ideal city and justice, is especially influential. Plato's style is marked by analogy, argument, and open-ended conclusions, and he has had a lasting influence on later Western philosophy and political thought.