WHY DOES SOCRATES OBEY THE LAW?

REASON AND RHETORIC IN PLATO'S CRITO

Professor Diduch currently teaches in the Western Heritage Program at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI

WHY DOES SOCRATES OBEY THE LAW? REASON AND RHETORIC IN PLATO'S CRITO
PROFESSOR PAUL DIDUCH
The standard approach to Platos Crito is to treat Socrates case for legal obligation as if it were meant by Socrates to reveal his own reasons for obeying the law. Although this view is not unreasonable, the problematic nature of Socratess defense suggests that it is rhetorical and that it should not be taken to reflect Socrates own views. Prof. Diduchs research on the Crito presents strong evidence that Socrates is in fact using the semblance of philosophic reasoning to have a calculated effect on Crito, and that Socratess official defense of the law cannot possibly explain his motives for obeying it.

March 12, 2014 4: 30 p.m. HUMN 1B80

HU

SPONSORED BY
4:30 p.m.

Herbst Program of Humanities

Phone: 303-492-4777 Fax : 303-735-1783 herbst@colorado.edu