plato
...ilosopher-king, he implies that the philosopher-king’s relationship of his wisdom and knowledge to society does not complicate the realization of justice because this person does not seek the glory of wealth or fame of being a ruler due to his unquenchable thirst for wisdom and knowledge, the celestial existence of the “noble lie”, and the category that society assigns to each person. Justice: Embedded in Humanity In the Crito, Socrates's refusal to escape from his death sentence is based on a certain account of what justice requires, distinct from the view that he owes unconditional obedience to the laws. This position is defended by Plato in later dialogues. Socrates' reasons for refusing to leave Athens and escape from his death sentence have been much debated, and the consensus seems to be that Socrates did not escape because he held the authoritarian belief that he owed unconditional obedience to the laws. In Chapter One I propose a different interpretation of the Crito on which my understanding of Plato's account of justice is based. Socrates, I argue, refuses to escape...