Dear Ascend Book Club Members,
I am delighted to share with you this guide to Plato’s Crito, a profound dialogue that wrestles with questions of justice, piety, and our obligations to the polis. Set in Socrates’ prison cell, the Crito contrasts the philosopher’s rational inquiry with Athens’ poetic traditions, embodied in the myth of Theseus, revealing the delicate place of philosophy in a city governed by poetic myth. Through Socrates’ dream of a woman foretelling his death, we see his choice to face execution as a heroic act of philosophical virtue, which reveals Socrates to be the new Achilles, the new epic hero.
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Crito’s emotional pleas for escape—rooted in fear of public judgment and concern for Socrates’ friends and family—are met with Socrates’ reasoned defense of his unrepayable debt to Athens, a “politics of gratitude” that stands in stark contrast to the modern obsession with individual rights. The laws’ warning that escape would unravel the polis, alongside Athens’ reluctant allowance of philosophy, mirrors the freedoms and flaws of our modern liberal democracy. Subtle references to the Corybantes and God weave divine sanction into Socrates’ rational resolve, inviting you to ponder the balance of conscience, civic duty, and divine order.
Here is everything you receive in the guide:
A 14-page guide (6100+ words)
An introductory letter from Dcn. Garlick
Small group discussion questions
A very detailed outline of the entire dialogue
15 robust questions on the text
Below is the full guide available to download. A wonderful resource!
