Plato, Crito

Democracy and expertise: 

• Knowledge of justice is held by experts, not by the democratic majority

Socrates ethics: 

• The duty to avoid injustice, even if one suffers an injustice. An example of this would be when he was in jail facing injustice and yet refused to commit injustice by escaping with his friend Crito.

Socrates’ three arguments for political obligation.

1. The argument for political obligation from avoiding harm

2. The argument for political obligation from gratitude for benefits received from the government.

3. The argument for political obligation from tacit or implied consent (which is different from express or declared consent). But see David Hume’s critique.

Crito’s five arguments against obedience and in favor of escaping from Athens:

• Friendship

• Reputation

• Justice

• Family

• Injustice 

• Friendship - he cannot allow his friend to face capital punishment when he can do something about it, especially when he was wrongfully tried. 

• Reputation - People will see Crito as a coward for not speaking his friend when he could. 

• Justice - Crito believed that because he was wrongfully convicted, he should be able to flee justice. 

• Family - Crito believed Socrates had a moral obligation to raise his own kids; they would be fatherless when he’s gone. 

• Injustice dissolves the duty to obey the government - He believed if someone was wrongfully tried, they shouldn’t have to obey the government. 

Socrates’ reply to Crito.

• The central tenet of Socratic ethics is that you must never commit an injustice (you must never harm others), even if you suffer an injustice. 

• If everyone disobeyed the law every time they felt wrongfully convicted, then the law wouldn’t stand.

• Socrates believed that living free but an unjust lifestyle is worse than death. He would rather face injustice than live free but with an unjust lifestyle. 

Socrates’ Ethics: Like physical health, moral health, or the justice of one’s soul, is:

• Preference-independent (not simply what you wish or want)

• A matter of expert knowledge

• Essential to human flourishing and happiness (eudaemonia).