In Plato’s Crito, Crito tries to persuade Socrates to accept his friend’s assistance in escaping Athens in order to evade death sentence. Socrates insists that it is obligations as a citizen of Athens to accept the sentence of its court. Socrates personal issues and philosophical views assist him in making the right decision. First of all Socrates was least concern about public opinion, several of fellow friends would have been exile too and it would be defying the law if they help Socrates. Socrates got a death sentence in Athens because he tamper with the youth and did not believe in the Gods. As a caring friend Crito comes to him while he is waiting his punishment. Crito tries to persuade to escape to another country, Socrates does not want to do …show more content…
It was unusual to go against the government because there was allegiance to Athens. In order for people to live in Athens they have to obey by the rules and they weren’t alright with they have freedom to leave. People agreed to the laws and aware of the responsibility for breaking them. Socrates while speaking for the laws of Athens stated “Or will you avoid cities that are well governed and men who are civilized? If you do this, will your life be worth living? Will you have social intercourse with them and not be ashamed to talk to them? (56)” Those were alternatives Socrates were saying if he runs away from facing punishment. The consequences would be him living with guilt when he tries to socialize with other people and leaving the place where he lived most of life and raise his kids. Leaving would make him a laughingstock. Socrates Athenians who would usual disagrees with the government have to be obliged to or convince them to do as they are told. When Socrates were philosophizing he didn’t convince the government to continue so now by not saying anything he is going to be put to
To this question, first Socrates says that he should not revenge injustice. Because doing injustice is bad in any circumstances (Crito 49b), to return injustice just because of having injustice done onto himself would bad also (Crito 49c). Therefore Socrates should not commit injustice just to get even with Athens. Injustice is bad because it harms, and disobedience to the law would harm the city (Crito 50b); so it seems that to disobey the law would be an injustice. But why should Socrates obey the law of the city? Socrates reasons that since the city has done him great benefactions, such as giving birth to his life, taking care of his physical upbringing and his education, and granting him long years of benefits from the legal system (Crito 50e - 51c), Socrates owns the state a strong duty of gratitude just as a child would own to his father. One of those duties is to obey the state (like how a child obeys his parents), which always has included the possibility of death such as in times of war (Crito 51b). Socrates should obey the city because he has made an agreement to do so. This agreement is the social contract that he has implicitly accepted and lived under for 70 years. This contract is legitimate because Socrates had a thorough understanding of the legal system (Crito 51e - 52a), he did not leave the city when he was given the fair chance all his life (Crito 51 c-e), and that he
He also explains to Crito that the citizen is bound to the laws like a child is bound to a parent, and so to go against the laws would be like striking a parent. Rather than simply break the laws and escape, Socrates should try to persuade the laws to let him go. These laws present the citizen's duty to them in the form of a kind of social contract. By choosing to live in Athens, a citizen is endorsing the laws, and is willing to follower by them. Therefore, if he was to break from prison now, having so consistently validated the social contract, he would be making himself an outlaw who would not be welcome in any other civilized state for the rest of his life. Furthermore when he dies, he will be harshly judged in the underworld for behaving unjustly toward his city's laws. In this way, Socrates chooses not to attempt escape but he dies as a martyr, not for himself, but for his city and its system of justice.
To Socrates laws only have meaning because the people give them meaning and only by following the laws do we see the actual value of them. According to Socrates the relationship of the people and the states are like that of a child and their parents. He claims that state raises the people by guiding them with laws giving them order and educates the people of what’s right and what’s wrong. Socrates does not believe in disobeying the law to set examples as you would not disobey your parents just to prove a point. Socrates is appreciative for what state has done for him and feels as if it is his duty and obligation to repay them or show gratitude to the state by following its laws.
By living in Athen for 70 years Socrates has agreed to have faith in the cities virtues and in the force of decisions that are imposed upon him and as a citizen he respects them. Any person that disobeys these laws deliberately attempts to destroy these laws and the society that has created them: "However, that whoever of you remains when he sees how we conduct our trials and manage the city in other ways, has in fact come to an agreement with us to obey our instructions." (51e). If the decisions of the city are not respected as honourable, the structure of that civilization will fall to pieces. If a person is found violating the standards of his or her society and does not accept the consequences of his or her actions there can't be a system of law that construct order. "You must either persuade it or obey its orders, and endure in silence whatever it instructs you to endure, whether blows or bonds, and if it leads you into war or be wounded or killed you must obey."(51b)
In the Crito, Socrates is charged with corrupting the youth by broadcasting these stinging questions that forced people to think. Athens, which at this time recently lost in battle, was seeking to eliminate anyone who they perceived as unfavorable by their gods in order to win back the compassion of their divine beings. Therefore, Socrates was put on trial for his impiety and was sentenced to a choice of exile or death. Refusing to be shamefully removed from his home state, Socrates selects death over exile and awaits death by hemlock. A bit of time after Socrates’ sentencing, Crito, his confidant, informs him that his death is near and attempts to convince him to escape. Crito tells
Socrates motives for not escaping could also be understood by his principles. His principle says, “And a good life is equivalent to a just and honorable one.”(1). Socrates believes and lives by doing well to himself and other people. Even though staying in prison would cause him physical damage, he is willing to sacrifice his body in order to save his soul. Because of his belief in living an honorable life, Socrates reasons to stay in prison rather than escaping.
Crito believes that Socrates is acting unjustly by staying in prison. Deciding to stay in prison, Socrates letting his enemies treat him the way they want to and by doing so
After the trial, Socrates was found guilty of his allegations and sentence to death. While waiting for his upcoming execution, he received a visit of his old faithful friend named Crito. Actually, Socrates friend had made an arrangement with other friends to help him escape from prison. Contrary to Crito’s suggestion, Socrates vetoed his friend proposal. Socrates on the other hand, provided several good and convincing reasons of not escaping prison by using law as a principal guide.
In the Crito, Socrates is approached by his life-long friend Crito while in prison awaiting execution. Crito used many different ways to attempt to persuade Socrates to escape. The best argument Crito uses is that he says Socrates would be betraying his children if he were to stay in prison. He says that Socrates should bring them up and educate them, not leave them. Socrates, contrary to what Crito says, feels that he has an implied contract with the State. He believes that his family staying in Athens and raising him there was the greatest compliment they could have given him, so he feels that he owes it to the State to accept its laws and to remain a willing partner to the State. Socrates’ feelings were summed up on page 64 when he says:
person. He stayed in Athens because he said that he had lived by the laws of the
In the story “Crito” Socrates was in jail awaiting the day when he would have to drink hemlock for the charges he was convicted of. Crito comes one day to try and convince Socrates to escape one more time. Crito has many reason why he thinks Socrates should escape. Socrates listens to what Crito has to say about escaping but, disagrees with him.
If he were to escape then he would be causing more harm to himself as he would lose all self-respect and dignity. Socrates was against the escape plan and he gave really good reasons to why he disagreed with Crito. Socrates was not guilty for his accusation. If he were to escape then everyone would think otherwise. Socrates said his occupation as a philosopher was following what the gods commanded. Therefore, living life without practicing philosophy would not be worth it. There was only one way to define the good life, and that is a life of knowledge.
In The Crito by Socrates, both Crito and Socrates present arguments, one that Socrates should escape prison, and one that he should not. Crito’s argument contains logic fallacies that undermine his argument and make it weak. Therefore, Socrates argument that he should remain in prison and face his death is valid and strong, and is better than Crito’s.
Socrates explains that if he escapes prison, it will ruin his soul which make life not worth living. Likewise, Socrates explains that there will be negative consequences for the state of Athens to follow. For example, Socrates explains that he will be destroying the laws by escaping. He is trying to make clear that if he breaks the law, other citizens will begin to feel like they can also break the law. As a result, once one citizen begins to disobey the law, take for example - killing someone because they want to seek revenge. Eventually, this will lead to the city being destroyed as more and more people begin to become comfortable with committing acts that aren’t just. This domino effect connects to Socrates’ theory that his soul will be ruin since all of this could have been avoided if he were just to stay in prison. Furthermore, Socrates believes that the reputation of his sons and friends along with himself will all be ruined no matter where they would escape to. They would then been seen as the “destroyer of the law.” Like previously, this argument can also be refuted. No one knows what would happen if he were to escape prison. These are all hypothetical scenarios that are suggested by Socrates. One can object by saying that what if the citizens of the state do not react in a negative way but rather in a positive way. For example, the citizens would be
In Plato’s Crito Socrates argues that it would be wrong for him to escape from prison. Speaking to his friend Cirto, Socrates explains that escaping from prison would go against many of his beliefs. Socrates believes in seeking the truth, not repaying a wrong with another wrong, and obeying the laws of the state. He also states that escaping from prison would ruin his reputation and is in best interest for everyone. Crito brings up many arguments to Socrates trying to convince him to escape. Crito tries to appeal to Socrates in many different ways and bombards him with many arguments. Every argument that Crito brings up to Socrates, he answers with carful thinking and analysis. Crito appeals to Socrates emotions by stating that his friends and family will be lost without him. He