The Role Of ' ' Crito '

America is commonly characterized as the greatest country in the world, the glorious “land of the free and the home of the brave”, “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. This idealization of the American identity conveniently focuses on what people want to hear and blurs out most everything else. In reality, Americans do not live up to the dreamscape created by our views, and we never really have. America is no longer characterized by its freedom and democracy, nearly every first world country can afford that luxury. Nor are we set apart by the great opportunities given to our people, for those are far from universal. We aren’t equal, we aren’t unified, we aren’t kinder or smarter or richer than any other country across the board. It’s easy to find the shortcomings of American culture, all the things we aren’t, but the things we are have proven to be more elusive. First, let’s examine the nots.

According to Socrates, the people who lead the society were the philosophers or the people who believed in truth, if a person is unaware of the truth then they were not allowed to rule. The concept of morality basically depends on association, interdependence and organization. Its major component is the goodness. When Crito visited Socrates telling him that he owns enough money to bribe the guards so that he can escape the jail; he rejected his idea saying that it’s better to die rather than living a life full of unjust. Socrates was against the breaking of law, that’s why he denied Crito’s offer. He believed that people should follow their own path instead of following majority because it is not necessary that majority are always right and minority are always wrong. His death penalty was unjust to him by the system of law. The charges against him was not that serious to be given death penalty. It was considered as the unjust application of law. Crito presented few

In life, people are guided by moral beliefs and principles. Whether their beliefs are good or bad, their decisions are based on them. In Plato “The Crito”, Socrates emphasizes his moral beliefs and principles when he decides not to escape from prison. Although Socrates had the opportunity to escape his death sentence, he chose not to do so because he had a moral obligation to commit a sacrifice.

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.

In order to give a little hindsight, I will discuss the dialogues between Socrates and Crito in Plato’s “The Crito”; the scene beings with Crito waking up Socrates’ in his jail cell and questioning how he seemed so calm and peaceful when the time for his execution was approaching at a rapid pace. Socrates, as calm as ever, replies that he is willing to die if it is the will of God. Crito begins to try to convince Socrates to escape from his cell by using different reasoning’s. Crito explains that if he rejected the idea of escaping and was executed, he would lose a loving and loyal friend and he would have to live with the fault of failing to save his life. On a more ethical level, Crito present more compelling cases: firstly, if he had stayed, he would helping his enemies in wronging him unjustly, and would then be acting unjustly himself; and second, that he

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

Crito gives Socrates six reasons why he should escape and, three reason why he would not have to worry about escaping. Crito tells Socrates if he does not try to escape he’ll be deprived of a unique friend (Crito 44b). Then he tells Socrates that if he does not come back he will get the worst reputation (Crito 44c). Also he tells Socrates that it is unjust to give up a salvageable life and that he

Crito and agreement with two guards to help Socrates escape his execution and live in exile, but Socrates refuses to escape. Crito believes that he would be committing two evil he he let Socrates die; “For if you die I might have saved you if I bad been willing to give money, but that I did not care. Now, can there be a worse disgrace than this- that i should be taught to value money more than the life of a friend?” (44) One must value life over money and life over death. Crito continues to try and convince his friend that escaping is the right thing to do. Crito argues that if Socrates is to stay he would be committing an injustice for he is wrongfully sentenced. “Socrates in betraying your own life when you might be saved; this is playing into the hands of you enemies and destroyers; and moreover I should say that you were betraying your children for you might bring them up and educate them.” (45) One must value his family his friends and his children. As Crito stated Socrates choosing to not escape as is an act of him abandoning his wife and children and he should be ashamed. One must also value and obey the law of Athens, this would be one of Socrates arguments of why he would not escape his

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:

First, Crito made it clear to Socrates that he should not be worried about the risk or financial costs to his friends as they are willing to pay. Also, Crito said that they would be justified in helping Socrates escaping from prison if they are caught. Aside from not worrying about Crito and his friends who are helping Socrates escape prison, there is one major motivation for Crito to help Socrates, which is no one would believe that Socrates had willingly faced execution. Instead, Crito would be accused of not having helped Socrates, and of valuing his money more than his friend's life.

In Plato’s Crito, Socrates commits philosophical suicide by appealing to the gods through the Laws of the state. After Socrates conviction in the Apology, he was sentenced to death. While waiting for his execution, one of his friends bribes the guard and attempts to entice Socrates to escaping and living good in exile. Socrates claims that there is a right way of living that the god’s demand and “it is never Right to do Wrong. Therefore, it is not right to do wrong even when one is wronged (it is not right to injure even when one has been injured).” Socrates uses this argument to deny Crito and to follow the

Socrates has presented a period of questions and answers through dialogue with Crito to examine if he going into exile will damage his reputation. Socrates questions and answers with Crito establishes that a person must decide whether the society he or she lives has a just reasoning behind it's own standards of right and wrong and that a person must have pride in the life that he or she leads. By confirming these two concepts through questions, Socrates attempted to prove to his companion Crito, that the choice that he has made is just: "I am the kind of man who listens only to the argument that on reflection seems best to me. I cannot, now that this fate has come upon me, discard the arguments I used;

Crito gives many seemingly valid reasons for socrates to escape. Socrates on the other hand does not believe that crito’s reasons for him to escape are really any valid. One of the first reasons critos talks about for as to why socrates should escape jail is friendship. Should Socrates die crito would not only lose such and important friend, but the people of athens would judge crito as someone who values money over friendship. In ancient athens is seems to be the norm that if you are going to be killed by the courts and you have a rich enough friend, you can escape if they were to bribe the guards to look the other way.

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

In Plato’s Five Dialogues Crito had planned Socrates escape from jail and all he had left to do was convince Socrates to go with