Justice and Political Obligation: Analyzing Socratic Dialogue Crito

Many philosophers have studied “justice” and “political obligation” as core concepts of political philosophy. “Justice” is the focal notion of the good society that all philosophers attempt to explore and explain; and on the other hand, “political obligation” is the focal question in evaluating the legitimacy of the ruling system. Therefore, studying the relation a philosopher assigns to the two concepts, would lead one to a comprehensive assessment of his/her philosophical system. Focusing on Crito, thus, the present study attempts to review the relation Socrates assigns to Justice and Political Obligation. No matter a verdict is or is not just, in Socrates’ philosophy, one should obey the rule. For in his view, the most unjust would be to disobey a legal commandment.