The Crito is a short dialogue written by Plato on a conversation between Socrates and his rich Athenian friend, Crito. The events of the dialogue occur after the Apology, and Socrates is in prison after being convicted and sentenced to death by an Athenian jury. The dialogue deals extensively with the source and nature of political obligation. In Western philosophy, it presents the first description of a Social Contract Theory, a contract between a state and its citizens. The social contract theory has had tremendous philosophical implications on modern society and is the groundwork upon which democracy is based. The social contract theory, first presented in the Crito, was expanded and developed by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacque Rousseau three political philosophers who played significant roles in the formation of nation states and the structuring of democratic governments.

In the dialogue, Crito tries to persuade Socrates to escape prison and live in exile. However, Socrates refuses to leave Athens and disobey the laws of the city. Socrates believed that by living in Athens, and more importantly by choosing to live in Athens, he had made an implicit agreement with the state to abide by the rules and laws of the city. By running away from his sentence, Socrates would be breaking his contract. This would be an unjust thing to do. Further, Socrates claimed that by running away he would only be accepting his guilt and disrespecting the city of his birth.