the Laws of Athens (personified)

E209573

The Laws of Athens (personified) are a dramatic, quasi-divine voice in Plato’s dialogues that embody the city’s legal and moral order, arguing for citizens’ absolute duty to obey its laws.

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the Laws of Athens (personified) canonical 1

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Platonic character
dramatic character
personification
philosophical concept
appearsIn Crito
surface form: Plato's Crito
arguesFor absolute duty to obey the laws
associatedWith Plato
characterType collective voice
normative authority
claims citizens are like children of the laws
citizens consent to laws by remaining in the city
citizens owe gratitude to the city
laws are like parents and masters of citizens
contrastedWith Socrates' individual philosophical conscience
defends obedience to court verdicts
obligation to accept legal judgments
demands submission to legal procedures
dialogueForm dramatic monologue
imagined speech
embodies legal order of Athens
moral order of Athens
forbids violent or illegal resistance to judgments
genre ancient political philosophy
hasRole quasi-divine voice
influenced later theories of political obligation
social contract traditions
interpretedAs voice of positive law
voice of the Athenian polis
justifies Socrates' refusal to escape from prison
language Ancient Greek
linkedTo Athenian democracy
Athenian legal system
medium philosophical dialogue
opposes civil disobedience in Socrates' case
permits persuading the city to change its laws
philosophicalTheme consent theory of political obligation
gratitude to the polis
justice versus self-interest
obedience to law
represents authority of the city
political community of Athens
social contract between citizen and city
speaksTo Socrates
timeOfCompositionContext 4th century BCE Athenian philosophy
usedBy Plato as rhetorical device
usedFor exploring justice and law
exploring political obligation
exploring relationship between individual and state

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Κρίτων featuresCharacter the Laws of Athens (personified)