Law has always been the agreed upon rules by which a society abides. While opinions upon whether or not a law is right will vary, there is a general consensus in the just nature of laws. If this consensus is not met, the law is repealed, as was shown in the United States during prohibition. The difficulty here resides in a population with desires that are not just, and laws that reflect that.

Justice, on the other hand, is a very abstract concept. Like law, it is a form of social order derived from a mandate from the masses. There is no actual correct definition of justice, but rather it is an agreed upon way of behaving. It means to be fair and true to each other, and to let personal politics stay out of the way of what is truly best for the society as a whole. This is a wonderful theory, but seems to be slightly more difficult when applied to a society.

It is the struggle between law, justice, an

In The Trial and Death of Socrates, Socrates is convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens. He is imprisoned to await the delivery of the hemlock that will end his life. This is a fine example of law dictating behavior. Under a court of law, and convicted by a jury, Socrates is found guilty. There is a law, he violated it, he is found guilty, and he is punished accordingly. Justice is clearly not served in this case. The people of Athens are upset at Socrates for insinuating that their beliefs and lifestyle choices are not entirely correct. “Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying the things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and he reaches these same things to others.” (19b). They realize that most of his teachings are admired by the youth and in an attempt to stop him from altering their society, the charge him with corruption. The jury is prejudiced against Socrates, and convicts him of a crime of which he is not guilty. Thus law is served, but justice is not. Social order is preserved, but at the cost of a man’s life, in addition too some of the ideas which may have changed the way modern man thinks about himself and his surroundings.

Socrates displays a remarkable sense of temerity here. Even presented with the chance to escape his impending death by Crito, he declines. Socrates understands that while his sentence is unjust, it was legally derived. “Tell me, Socrates, what are you intending to do? Do you not by this action you are attempting intend to destroy us, the laws, and indeed the whole city, as far as you are concerned? Or do you think it possible for a city not to be destroyed if the verdicts of is courts have no force but are nu

Some topics in this essay:
Socrates Socrates, Justice Throughout, Technically Electra, Zeus Councils, Libation Bearers, Fortunately Orestes, law justice, justice social, law justice social, guilty law, laws broken, found guilty,