Platon Werke / Band 001,3 / Kriton

First scholarly commentary in German directed at a general audience with no specialist knowledge of Ancient Greek or Ancient Philosophy. Based on a philologically precise translation the commentary delivers an accurate paraphrase and analysis of Plato's philosophical argument, especially with regard to his political theory. Implications for present-day concepts and theories are discussed wherever possible. Central tenets of the commentary are; a) the "Crito" is not concerned with the problem whether there is a right to resist against tyranny, it debates the problem of whether it is allowable to ignore a final and binding verdict in a state governed by the rule of law in a case of wrongful conviction; b) the "Crito" underscores Socrates' deep religous beliefs, these are not seen to contradict the rationality of his position; c) Socrates' method, which is founded on Platonic dialectics and thus always guided by logos, is contrasted with Crito's purely rhetorical approach; d) Socrates' view that the only ethically acceptable decision is for him to remain in prison is based on the principle that being on the receiving end of injustice does not make it acceptable or ethically right to act unjustly yourself; e) apart from such general considerations the "Crito" demonstrates that there is simply no option left that would allow Socrates to lead a life true to himself and his personal convictions. Thus, the argument in the "Crito" is at the same time highly specific with regard to Socrates' person and situation and a general demonstration of how Plato believes a philosophical person should go about when deciding on a course of action in a given situation.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bernard ist Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Griechische Philologie an der Universität Rostock.