of　the　one　man　who　has　understanding？　ought　we　not　to　fear　and　reverence
  him　more　than　all　the　rest　of　the　world：　　and　if　we　desert　him　shall　we　not
  destroy　and　injure　that　principle　in　us　which　may　be　assumed　to　be　improved
  by　justice　and　deteriorated　by　injustice；there　is　such　a　principle？
  CRITO：　　Certainly　there　is；　Socrates。
  SOCRATES：　　Take　a　parallel　instance：if；　acting　under　the　advice　of　those
  who　have　no　understanding；　we　destroy　that　which　is　improved　by　health　and
  is　deteriorated　by　disease；　would　life　be　worth　having？　　And　that　which　has
  been　destroyed　isthe　body？
  CRITO：　　Yes。
  SOCRATES：　　Could　we　live；　having　an　evil　and　corrupted　body？
  CRITO：　　Certainly　not。
  SOCRATES：　　And　will　life　be　worth　having；　if　that　higher　part　of　man　be
  destroyed；　which　is　improved　by　justice　and　depraved　by　injustice？　　Do　we
  suppose　that　principle；　whatever　it　may　be　in　man；　which　has　to　do　with
  justice　and　injustice；　to　be　inferior　to　the　body？
  CRITO：　　Certainly　not。
  SOCRATES：　　More　honourable　than　the　body？
  CRITO：　　Far　more。
  SOCRATES：　　Then；　my　friend；　we　must　not　regard　what　the　many　say　of　us：
  but　what　he；　the　one　man　who　has　understanding　of　just　and　unjust；　will
  say；　and　what　the　truth　will　say。　　And　therefore　you　begin　in　error　when
  you　advise　that　we　should　regard　the　opinion　of　the　many　about　just　and
  unjust；　good　and　evil；　honorable　and　dishonorable。'Well；'　some　one　will
  say；　'but　the　many　can　kill　us。'
  CRITO：　　Yes；　Socrates；　that　will　clearly　be　the　answer。
  SOCRATES：　　And　it　is　true；　but　still　I　find　with　surprise　that　the　old
  argument　is　unshaken　as　ever。　　And　I　should　like　to　know　whether　I　may　say
  the　same　of　another　propositionthat　not　life；　but　a　good　life；　is　to　be
  chiefly　valued？
  CRITO：　　Yes；　that　also　remains　unshaken。
  SOCRATES：　　And　a　good　life　is　equivalent　to　a　just　and　honorable　onethat
  holds　also？
  CRITO：　　Yes；　it　does。
  SOCRATES：　　From　these　premisses　I　proceed　to　argue　the　question　whether　I
  ought　or　ought　not　to　try　and　escape　without　the　consent　of　the　Athenians：
  and　if　I　am　clearly　right　in　escaping；　then　I　will　make　the　attempt；　but　if
  not；　I　will　abstain。　　The　other　considerations　which　you　mention；　of　money
  and　loss　of　character　and　the　duty　of　educating　one's　children；　are；　I
  fear；　only　the　doctrines　of　the　multitude；　who　would　be　as　ready　to　restore
  people　to　life；　if　they　were　able；　as　they　are　to　put　them　to　deathand
  with　as　little　reason。　　But　now；　since　the　argument　has　thus　far　prevailed；
  the　only　question　which　remains　to　be　considered　is；　whether　we　shall　do
  rightly　either　in　escaping　or　in　suffering　others　to　aid　in　our　escape　and
  paying　them　in　money　and　thanks；　or　whether　in　reality　we　shall　not　do
  rightly；　and　if　the　latter；　then　death　or　any　other　calamity　which　may
  ensue　on　my　remaining　here　must　not　be　allowed　to　enter　into　the
  calculation。
  CRITO：　　I　think　that　you　are　right；　Socrates；　how　then　shall　we　proceed？
  SOCRATES：　　Let　us　consider　the　matter　together；　and　do　you　either　refute　me
  if　you　can；　and　I　will　be　convinced；　or　else　cease；　my　dear　friend；　from
  repeating　to　me　that　I　ought　to　escape　against　the　wishes　of　the　Athenians：
  for　I　highly　value　your　attempts　to　persuade　me　to　do　so；　but　I　may　not　be
  persuaded　against　my　own　better　judgment。　　And　now　please　to　consider　my
  first　position；　and　try　how　you　can　best　answer　me。
  CRITO：　　I　will。
  SOCRATES：　　Are　we　to　say　that　we　are　never　intentionally　to　do　wrong；　or
  that　in　one　way　we　ought　and　in　another　way　we　ought　not　to　do　wrong；　or　is
  doing　wrong　always　evil　and　dishonorable；　as　I　was　just　now　saying；　and　as
  has　been　already　acknowledged　by　us？　　Are　all　our　former　admissions　which
  were　made　within　a　few　days　to　be　thrown　away？　　And　have　we；　at　our　age；
  been　earnestly　discoursing　with　one　another　all　our　life　long　only　to
  discover　that　we　are　no　better　than　children？　　Or；　in　spite　of　the　opinion
  of　the　many；　and　in　spite　of　consequences　whether　better　or　worse；　shall　we
  insist　on　the　truth　of　what　was　then　said；　that　injustice　is　always　an　evil
  and　dishonour　to　him　who　acts　unjustly？　　Shall　we　say　so　or　not？
  CRITO：　　Yes。
  SOCRATES：　　Then　we　must　do　no　wrong？
  CRITO：　　Certainly　not。
  SOCRATES：　　Nor　when　injured　injure　in　return；　as　the　many　imagine；　for　we
  must　injure　no　one　at　all？　　（E。g。　compare　Rep。）
  CRITO：　　Clearly　not。
  SOCRATES：　　Again；　Crito；　may　we　do　evil？
  CRITO：　　Surely　not；　Socrates。
  SOCRATES：　　And　what　of　doing　evil　in　return　for　evil；　which　is　the　morality
  of　the　manyis　that　just　or　not？
  CRITO：　　Not　just。
  SOCRATES：　　For　doing　evil　to　another　is　the　same　as　injuring　him？
  CRITO：　　Very　true。
  SOCRATES：　　Then　we　ought　not　to　retaliate　or　render　evil　for　evil　to　any
  one；　whatever　evil　we　may　have　suffered　from　him。　　But　I　would　have　you
  consider；　Crito；　whether　you　really　mean　what　you　are　saying。　　For　this
  opinion　has　never　been　held；　and　never　will　be　held；　by　any　considerable
  number　of　persons；　and　those　who　are　agreed　and　those　who　are　not　agreed
  upon　this　point　have　no　common　ground；　and　can　only　despise　one　another
  when　they　see　how　widely　they　differ。　　Tell　me；　then；　whether　you　agree
  with　and　assent　to　my　first　principle；　that　neither　injury　nor　retaliation
  nor　warding　off　evil　by　evil　is　ever　right。　　And　shall　that　be　the　premiss
  of　our　argument？　　Or　do　you　decline　and　dissent　from　this？　　For　so　I　have
  ever　thought；　and　continue　to　think；　but；　if　you　are　of　another　opinion；
  let　me　hear　what　you　have　to　say。　　If；　however；　you　remain　of　the　same　mind
  as　formerly；　I　will　proceed　to　the　next　step。
  CRITO：　　You　may　proceed；　for　I　have　not　changed　my　mind。
  SOCRATES：　　Then　I　will　go　on　to　the　next　point；　which　may　be　put　in　the
  form　of　a　question：Ought　a　man　to　do　what　he　admits　to　be　right；　or　ought
  he　to　betray　the　right？
  CRITO：　　He　ought　to　do　what　he　thinks　right。
  SOCRATES：　　But　if　this　is　true；　what　is　the　application？　　In　leaving　the
  prison　against　the　will　of　the　Athenians；　do　I　wrong　any？　or　rather　do　I
  not　wrong　those　whom　I　ought　least　to　wrong？　　Do　I　not　desert　the
  principles　which　were　acknowledged　by　us　to　be　justwhat　do　you　say？
  CRITO：　　I　cannot　tell；　Socrates；　for　I　do　not　know。
  SOCRATES：　　Then　consider　the　matter　in　this　way：Imagine　that　I　am　about
  to　play　truant　（you　may　call　the　proceeding　by　any　name　which　you　like）；
  and　the　laws　and　the　government　come　and　interrogate　me：　　'Tell　us；
  Socrates；'　they　say；　'what　are　you　about？　are　you　not　going　by　an　act　of
  yours　to　overturn　usthe　laws；　and　the　whole　state；　as　far　as　in　you　lies？
  Do　you　imagine　that　a　state　can　subsist　and　not　be　overthrown；　in　which　the
  decisions　of　law　have　no　power；　but　are　set　aside　and　trampled　upon　by
  individuals？'　　What　will　be　our　answer；　Crito；　to　these　and　the　like　words？
  Any　one；　and　especially　a　rhetorician；　will　have　a　good　deal　to　say　on
  behalf　of　the　law　which　requires　a　sentence　to　be　carried　out。　　He　will
  argue　that　this　law　should　not　be　set　aside；　and　shall　we　reply；　'Yes；　but
  the　state　has　injured　us　and　given　an　unjust　sentence。'　　Suppose　I　say
  that？
  CRITO：　　Very　good；　Socrates。
  SOCRATES：　　'And　was　that　our　agreement　with　you？'　the　law　would　answer；　'or
  were　you　to　abide　by　the　sentence　of　the　state？'　　And　if　I　were　to　express
  my　astonishment　at　their　words；　the　law　would　probably　add：　　'Answer；
  Socrates；　instead　of　opening　your　eyesyou　are　in　the　habit　of　asking　and
  answering　questions。　　Tell　us；What　complaint　have　you　to　make　against　us
  which　justifies　you　in　attempting　to　destroy　us　and　the　state？　　In　the
  first　place　did　we　not　bring　you　into　existence？　　Your　father　married　your
  mother　by　our　aid　and　begat　you。　　Say　whether　you　have　any　objection　to
  urge　against　those　of　us　who　regulate　marriage？'　　None；　I　should　reply。
  'Or　against　those　of　us　who　after　birth　regulate　the　nurture　and　education
  of　children；　in　which　you　also　were　trained？　　Were　not　the　laws；　which　have
  the　charge　of　education；　right　in　commanding　your　father　to　train　you　in
  music　and　gymnastic？'　　Right；　I　should　reply。　　'Well　then；　since　you　were
  brought　into　the　world　and　nurtured　and　educated　by　us；　can　you　deny　in　the
  first　place　that　you　are　our　child　and　slave；　as　your　fathers　were　before
  you？　　And　if　this　is　true　you　are　not　on　equal　terms　with　us；　nor　can　you
  think　that　you　have　a　right　to　do　to　us　what　we　are　doing　to　you。　　Would
  you　have　any　right　to　strike　or　revile　or　do　any　other　evil　to　your　father
  or　your　master；　if　you　had　one；　because　you　have　been　struck　or　reviled　by
  him；　or　received　some　other　evil　at　his　hands？you　would　not　say　this？
  And　because　we　think　right　to　destroy　you；　do　you　think　that　you　have　any
  right　to　destroy　us　in　return；　and　your　country　as　far　as　in　you　lies？
  Will　you；　O　professor　of　true　virtue；　pretend　that　you　are　justified　in
  this？　　Has　a　philosopher　like　you