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Essay / The Importance of Law in Plato's Crito - 1413
In any community, citizens are expected to obey the laws, but what about laws that seem to benefit only one group of people ? Citizens assume that they must follow whatever rules others have set for them, believing that it is their responsibility to obey the law or face consequences. People are told that laws are made to protect them, but very often these laws benefit some and harm others. Unjust legal and societal practices cause people to question their obligations to their government, making it difficult to understand why citizens should follow certain rules if they are not established in the best interest of all. These questions arise especially with regard to the obligations of citizens. The obligations of a citizen can Throughout his writings, Plato uses the story of Socrates to explain what a good citizen should do, rather than what is expected, in certain situations. Like King, Plato speaks of the “majority,” which is a hierarchy in every society, favoring one group over another. To challenge this idea, he uses the character of Crito to suggest that there are consequences for opposing the "majority", such as death. The idea of a majority controlling a society seems to be a consistent trend since the dawn of time. He believes in the "chance of the majority", suggesting that it does not adopt laws in the best interest of all citizens, but only in that of itself. As an active citizen, everyone should never take the easy way out when fighting for their rights. It is their duty to correct the mistakes made in the past in order to bring unity and equality to their community. Plato suggests that it is cowardly to allow injustice to occur, which happens when people reject the power they possess as citizens of a society. More often than not, the majority are foolish leaders who command the wise public of the community. The fear they inflict on the public dampens the flame in every person who wants to fight for their civil rights. Socrates believes that it is foolish to care about the opinions of those who do not understand the difference between justice and injustice. Although he believes in defying authority, he does not believe in taking revenge on a wronged person. Revenge is as bad as the harm caused, which means that the one who takes revenge is no better than the majority. As a figure of authority, legislators should not instill fear in citizens, but rather persuade them to do the right thing. Plato's writings suggest fighting for the natural rights of citizens and being the most important person in situations of