In the Apology, Socrates proposes a new kind of citizenship in opposition to the traditional one that was based on the poetic conception of Homer. Socrates' is a philosophical citizenship, relying on one's own powers of independent reason and judgment. The Crito, a dialogue taking place in Socrates' prison cell, is about civil obedience, piety, and the duty of every citizen to respect and live by the laws of the community.

Reading assignment:

Plato, Apology of Socrates; Crito

Resources: Plato, Apology, translated with an introduction by Benjamin Jowett Courtesy of the University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection Plato, Crito, translated with an introduction by Benjamin Jowett Courtesy of the University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection