The Crito Essay, Research Paper
Socrates has thoroughly justified his own decision to obey the opinions of the majority and
serve out the sentence that his own city has deemed appropriate for his crimes. At the beginning
of this piece, Socrates has presented a period of questions and answers through dialogue with
Crito. Throughout the dialogue Socrates is explaining his reasoning for not running from the
government. Crito does not understand the madness of Socrates, Crito will do whatever it takes
to help his friend to flee, instead of being exiled by the government. AI do not think that what
you are doing is right, to give up your life when you can save it, and to hasten your fate as your
enemies would hasten it, and indeed have hastened it in their wish to destroy you.@(Crito p.58c) Throughout the begining of the dialog, Crito is expressing his feelings of why he believes
Socrates should flee from the city. Crito makes many valid points on why he disagrees with
Socrates decision to bare this misfortune. Crito offers to do on not fleeingbeing majorints
expressing to Socrates, that a man as courageous as Socrates and who has lived his life through
virtue . AYou seem to me to choose the easiest path, whereas one should choose the path a good
and courageous man would choose, particularly when one claims throughout one=s life to care
for virtue.@(Crito p.59d) Through the dialogue the questions and answers within Socrates and
Crito establish to major themes in which hold true throughout the work. The first being that a
person must decide whether the society in which one lives has a just reasoning behind it=s own
standards of right and wrong. The second being, that a person must have pride in the life that he
or she leads. In establishing basic questions of these two concepts, Socrates has precluded his
own circumstance and attempted to prove to his companion Crito, that the choice that he has
made is just. AI 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; they seen to
me much the same.@(Crito p.59b) The introduction of this work has also provided the concept
that it is our society or majority that has dictated what is considered virtuous action. According to
Socrates we have been given every opportunity to reject our society and renounce what it has
stood for and against. ANot one of our laws raises any obstacle or forbids him, if he is not
satisfied with us or the city, if one of you wants to go and live in a colony or wants to go
anywhere else, and keep his property.@ (Crito p.63d) Socrates states; that making a conscious
choice or effort to remain under the influence of a society is an unconscious agreement with that
society to live your life by it=s standards and virtues. Socrates states after establishing his own agreement with his city=s virtues that he
believes in the validity of the decision imposed upon himself. He states that his decision is
justified by the fact that the laws and governing agents of the society must command a certain
degree of respect. Any person who would unjustly disobey these laws creates a deliberate attempt
to destroy them, as well as, the society which has imposed them. For example; AHowever, 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.@ (Crito p.63e) If the
decisions of the city=s governing agents are not thoroughly respected as just and cohesive parts
of society, the very structure by which the society stands is subject to collapse. If a person is
found to be in violation of what his or her society stands for and does not accept the
consequences for his or her actions, then there can not be a system of law in place to create order.
A 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.@(Crito p.63b) The society in which a person lives creates a mutual relationship in which
every person in that society is indebted to, if he or she willingly accepts that society for their own. Following along these basic concepts, Socrates then adapts them to his own circumstances
Crito, his companion , has presented to Socrates . The option to escape from his captors and
renounce their decision on his fate. Socrates view in Crito=s suggestion to escape is one in
which Crito begins to understand. Socrates suggests. AI mean the majority of men. For us,
however, since our argument leads to this, the only valid consideration is whether we should be
acting rightly in giving with the escape, or whether in truth we shall do wrong in doing all this.@
(Crito p.61c) Socrates has concluded that if he were to follow Crito=s advice he would be
committing several wrong actions against a society in which he calls his own. The first of these
being his own forebears. To disobey your own society, according to Socrates, is to betray what you were taught to
be right by the virtues of your own parents. And what they held to be true, your fore fathers
brought you into a society that they believed to be profound and just. AIs your wisdom such as
not to realize that your country is to be honored more then your mother, your father, and all your
ancestors, that is more to be revered and more sacred, and that it counts for more among the gods
and sensible men, that you must worship it, yield to it and placate it=s anger@.(Crito p.63b) To
renounce these virtues would be a disgrace. ADo you think you have the right to retaliation
against your country and it=s law? That if we undertake to destroy you and think it right to do so
you can undertake to destroy us@(Critop. p.63b), you who truly cares for virtue. This would be
a disgrace against your own families legacy and the dreams that they hold for you, and your
future. Society, in the day of Socrates has only requested for two things in return for the
fulfillment and prophesizing of morally correct virtue The choice has been made very clear, to
either persuade society that it has acted unjustly, or to do as society has asked without hindrance
or complaint. The person who has disobeyed according to Socrates has done neither one. @We
say that the one who disobeys does wrong in three ways, first, because in us he disobeys his
parents, also those who brought him up, and in spite of his agreement, he neither obeys us nor, if
we do something wrong does he try to persuade us to do better@. (Crito p.63e) This person only
serves to justify their own decisions, actions, and foregoes the utterances of those who gave them
the life they have renounced. Socrates then states that by remaining a member of your society, you have in fact accepted
the society as your own. He uses himself as the only example and states that by living in his own
city and choosing that city to raise a family. Socrates states, ADid you choose us and agree to be
a citizen under us. Also, you have had children in this city, thus showing that it was congenial to
you. Then your trial you could have assessed your penalty at exile if you wished, and you are now
attempting to do against the cit=s wishes what you could have done with her consent. He has in
fact been satisfied by the same values that his city has held dear. To disobey his society in its
decision against himself would be to renounce what his city has accomplished both for himself and
its other residents. Socrates needs and must hold his head up with pride in knowing that he was
not hypocritical in his decision. The agreement that he made within his city to obey the laws to
live as a good citizen makes the thought of exile shameful and therefore unacceptable. ANot being
sentenced to death, and fleeing , Awill also strengthen the conviction of the jury that they passed
the right sentence on you, for anyone who destroys the laws could easily be thought to corrupt
the young and the ignorant.@ 64) Upon establishing the basic concept of right and wrong at the introduction to the piece
Socrates has created an argument that he can not consider to be unjust. Running away from the
decision that his own society has made would be an affirmation of his own guilt in the of his
family and peers. Even though he may have been wrongly imprisoned and sentenced to death, he
holds very little value in the belief that two wrongs can achieve a justifiable pardon in society He
has firmly stood before his own value system and society=s beliefs, and has presented his own
opinions on how he believes has been right in his actions, These affirmations of his own
conviction to a law abiding community have led him to an unshaking belief that to ruin all of the
work that he has accomplished. He would consequently made himself a traitor and guilty in all
prolonging eyes. Socrates has very carefully and thoughtfully consented to what his own city has deemed to
be righteous and justified. His thoughts on his destiny are completely unselfish, as his only wish is
to preserve the society around him which has accepted him and his family for so many years. He
has indignantly renounced the idea of self preservation and any attempt to escape because of the
potential harm and damage that it ultimately will cause. The disgrace of thought as he being
guilty would force all that he has forged to hide in exile from the wrath of the society which he
has protected. Socrates has succeeded in justifying his actions by showing how devastating his
disobedience could possibly be. In considering all of the points that he has made in the defense of
his decision. Socrates can maintain his own pride, and sense of right and wrong. He has shown
others, such as Crito . There is a certain satisfaction in maintaining ones own innocence while not
accepting a hollow victory for one may possibly last for many society=s yet to come. By maintaining a harmony between what is right and the expression of a persons own
opinions he has made possible the ultimate truth, the belief in what has worked and staying within
the boundaries of decent and god fearing society. The laws of the society in which Socrates lived
condemned him to die for his own conviction and the reasons for Socrates to remain and accept
the punishments of that society have proved to be wise and justified.
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