_Socrates_: Let us consider the matter together, and do you either refute me if you can, and I will be convinced, or else cease, my dear friend, from repeating to me that I ought to escape against the wishes of the Athenians; for I am extremely desirous to be persuaded by you, but not against my own better judgment. And now please to consider my first position, and do your best to answer me. _Crito_: I will do my best.... _Socrates_: Again, Crito, may we do evil? _Crito_: Surely not, Socrates. _Socrates_: And what of doing evil in return for evil, which is the morality of the many; is that just or not? _Crito_: Not just. _Socrates_: For doing evil to another is the same as injuring him? _Crito_: Very true. _Socrates_: Then we ought not to retaliate or render evil for evil to any one, whatever evil we may have suffered from him. But I would have you consider, Crito, whether you really mean what you are saying. For this opinion has never been held, and never will be held, by any considerable number of persons; and those who are agreed and those who are not agreed upon this point have no common ground, and can only despise one another when they see how widely they differ. Tell me, then, whether you agree with and assent to my first principle, that neither injury nor retaliation nor warding off evil by evil is ever right. And shall that be the premise of our argument? Or do you decline and dissent from this? For this has been of old and is still my opinion; but, if you are of another opinion, let me hear what you have to say. If, however, you remain of the same mind, I will proceed. _Crito_: You may proceed, for I have not changed my mind. _Socrates_: Then I will proceed to the next step, which may be put in the form of a question: Ought a man to do what he admits to be right or ought he to betray the right? _Crito_: He ought to do what he thinks right. _Socrates_: But if this is true, what is the application? In leaving the prison against the will of the Athenians, do I wrong any? or rather do I not wrong those whom I ought least to wrong? Do I not desert the principles which were acknowledged by us to be just? What do you say? _Crito_: I can not tell, Socrates; for I do not know.