The definition of harmony of the fourth book is thus commensurate with the justice of the first book of "The Republic" -- the unity, harmony, and perfection of the ideal forms of the heavens are mirrored in a unified and harmoniously operated state, in the Platonic view as expressed by Socrates. But Socrates, as he speaks to his fellow Athenians in a law-court, making a plea for his life, is far more elementary in his definition of justice -- he argues he is not guilty of the charges of atheism and of corrupting the Athenian youth and rebuts the allegations in a fashion to suggest that it would be unjust, on the terms of the existing law, to convict him. Likewise, the philosopher refuses to escape the confines of his prison because he argues it would be unjust of him to live in Athens under the protection of its laws, and then to refuse to obey them to the death, simply because he disagreed with them in part --...

He argues he must obey these laws, and not obey them piecemeal -- yet in the "Republic" he takes issue with the currently existing state as a whole, and suggests a ruling form of oligarchy rather than a democracy would be superior. In essence, his stress upon completely reconfiguring the state, rather than in parts is congruent in all of the dialogues, but the attitude towards the city in the trial and death dialogues is far more affectionate than the cold and complete eschewing of all Athenian values in "The Republic"