Explain and Respond to Socrates’ argument in Crito

In this essay, you will explain and respond to Socrates’ argument in Crito that it would be wrong for him to escape from prison.

In the essay, you must first explain Socrates’s argument clearly and completely. Following your explanation, you must state and explain the reasons why you strongly agree or disagree with his claim or have some reservation or disagreement with his claim. Whichever position you take, the discussion must reveal your own reasoned response to Socrates’s argument and the reasons why you have this response.

The paper must be 2 pages in length, double-spaced with one-inch margins and a 12 point font. All pages must be numbered. You do not need a separate title page. Essays must also be submitted through the Canvas course page. Late papers will be marked down by a maximum of one-half a letter grade for each day the paper is late (including weekends).

have a clear and well-developed thesis (your position on Socrates’ argument);
correctly introduce and use quotations, sparingly (i.e., no more than two brief quotations) and appropriately (see The Little Seagull Handbook);
Be clearly written and be logically organized;
Correctly use a recognized citation format. NOTE: when citing Crito, you MUST use the Stephanus numbers (the numbers that appear in the margins of the text) (e.g., 1098a12). YOU MAY NOT use page or chapter numbers;
Be carefully edited and conform to the standard conventions of formal American English in spelling, sentence structure, and grammar. Please note: your paper will be marked down significantly if it is not well edited.
Be written as the teacher, not for the teacher. You should take your audience to be an average college student who is capable of grasping difficult philosophical arguments so long as they are explained carefully and clearly. Think of your essay as a brief lecture that you will be giving to a class of your peers. They are counting on you to present the arguments to them; you cannot assume that they already have a working knowledge of the text you are analyzing or its significance. If you make this assumption you will likely cut corners in your discussion of the text, and this will make your lecture very hard to follow. Likewise, if you write your paper for me you will likely cut corners in the discussion and explication of the text, making it very difficult for me to see that you have a good grasp of the material.