In the heyday of the founding philosophers, two stand out, Plato and Thoreau. Everyone had their own opinions on various topics, including civil disobedience. Plato's lifespan was approximately 428 to 348 BC. Plato wrote many works throughout his life, but we will focus on just one, the Crito. Thoreau's lifespan was from 1817 to 1862. To help us determine what civil disobedience meant to these two philosophers, we will first look at a general definition. According to Merriam-Webster, civil disobedience is defined as "the refusal to obey government requests or orders, especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing the government to make concessions." This definition will serve as a springboard to compare and contrast their two thoughts on the subject. We will determine, according to Plato and Thoreau, when we are called to engage in civil disobedience and when the moral parameters of civil disobedience are pushed too far. In trying to understand Plato's thoughts on civil disobedience, the Crito reveals his thoughts on civil disobedience. subject. Focus on Socrates though...