Because I Said So: Practical Authority in Plato’s Crito
Polis 32 (1):3-31 (2015)
Abstract
This essay is an analysis of the central arguments in Plato’s Crito. The dialogue shows,
in a variety of ways, that the opinion of another person can have practical relevance in
one’s deliberations about what to do – e.g. as an argument, as a piece of expert advice,
as a threat. Especially important among these forms of practical relevance is the relevance
of authoritative commands. In the dialogue, the Laws of Athens argue that
Socrates must accept his sentence of death, because he must regard the court’s verdict
as a command from a practical authority – the city. The Laws’ arguments rely on
special features of authority-reasons that many commentators have overlooked. This
article explains why the Law’s arguments are unsuccessful. Finally, it is argued that
Socrates’ description of ‘the many’ suggests that the city lacks the deliberative capacity
necessary for possessing practical authority.
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2019-05-23
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291 ( #18,213 of 55,934 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
161 ( #3,108 of 55,934 )
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