Free Essays on Crito

In Plato’s Crito, Socrates has been sentenced to death by the court of Athens and is being held until his execution. The Crito is the recorded account of the conversation between Socrates and his friend Crito, in which Crito is trying to convince Socrates that he should save his life and escape, while Socrates argues that he must stay and accept his punishment. One of the arguments concerning the point of view that it is morally right for Socrates to escape from prison and save his own life is the following: 1.) Socrates is a parent. 2.) A parent has a responsibility to provide and care for his or her child. 3.) If a parent neglects this responsibility than the parent is putting the child’s safety in jeopardy. 4.) It is morally wrong for a person to put another person’s safety into jeopardy. 5.) If a parent is not present in his or her child’s life it is the same as the parent neglecting his or her responsibility to provide and care for the child. 6.) If Socrates does not escape from prison and is executed he will be dead. 7.) If Socrates is dead he will not be present in his children’s lives. 7.) Therefore it is morally right for Socrates to escape from prison. Directly opposing this argument is the argument of why it is morally wrong for Socrates to escape from prison. 1.) It is morally wrong for a person to choose to do evil over good. 2.) The laws are set up to tell people how to act justly and to maintain peace and order within a society. 3.) It is morally right to maintain order and peace. 4.) Every citizen is morally required to follow the law to maintain order and peace within the city. 5.) Socrates is a citizen of the city of Athens. 6.) Socrates was convicted and sentenced to be executed according to the Athenian procedures of the law. 7.) Accepting the punishments given out by the law is the same as following the law. 8.) Breaking the law is choosing to do evil over good. 9.) If... Free Essays on Crito Free Essays on Crito In Plato’s Crito, Socrates has been sentenced to death by the court of Athens and is being held until his execution. The Crito is the recorded account of the conversation between Socrates and his friend Crito, in which Crito is trying to convince Socrates that he should save his life and escape, while Socrates argues that he must stay and accept his punishment. One of the arguments concerning the point of view that it is morally right for Socrates to escape from prison and save his own life is the following: 1.) Socrates is a parent. 2.) A parent has a responsibility to provide and care for his or her child. 3.) If a parent neglects this responsibility than the parent is putting the child’s safety in jeopardy. 4.) It is morally wrong for a person to put another person’s safety into jeopardy. 5.) If a parent is not present in his or her child’s life it is the same as the parent neglecting his or her responsibility to provide and care for the child. 6.) If Socrates does not escape from prison and is executed he will be dead. 7.) If Socrates is dead he will not be present in his children’s lives. 7.) Therefore it is morally right for Socrates to escape from prison. Directly opposing this argument is the argument of why it is morally wrong for Socrates to escape from prison. 1.) It is morally wrong for a person to choose to do evil over good. 2.) The laws are set up to tell people how to act justly and to maintain peace and order within a society. 3.) It is morally right to maintain order and peace. 4.) Every citizen is morally required to follow the law to maintain order and peace within the city. 5.) Socrates is a citizen of the city of Athens. 6.) Socrates was convicted and sentenced to be executed according to the Athenian procedures of the law. 7.) Accepting the punishments given out by the law is the same as following the law. 8.) Breaking the law is choosing to do evil over good. 9.) If... Free Essays on Crito Philosophers have existed since man could think freely. However, by nature they are controversial and often disliked or misunderstood. Such is the case with Socrates in Plato’s Crito. Because of his views, Socrates has been thrown in prison. During his trial in Athens he was convicted of the accused crimes by the law and sentenced to death. Now Socrates awaits his death in prison. The first argument that Crito makes is that if Socrates remains in prison then it will reflect badly on all of his friends. However, Socrates replies that a man should not worry about what others think of him. Rather they should worry about living well. While Crito tries to persuade Socrates to leave the prison with him, Socrates gives forth many reasons why it would be wrong for him to leave the prison. First of all there is a simple principle that they must both agree upon. And that is that one cannot combat evil with evil. Once that is out of the way Socrates asks Crito, What is a man to do, â€Å"what he proclaims to be right or what he knows is wrong?† Obviously the answer is what a man proclaims to be right. However, in this case Socrates knows he should challenge the courts decision, but at what cost. For you see, Socrates has already proclaimed that evil cannot be combated with evil, and for him to be challenging the courts he would be defacing Athens laws and customs. To do this would be the same as doing wrong to the Athenian people. So in reality Socrates is caught in a â€Å"catch 22.† Socrates also explains that to harm the laws would be to deny his citizenship. The laws have always existed and have controlled his life since before he was born. The laws also governed his education and daily activities. In all actuality he is a slave to the laws. And as it is improper for a slave to disobey or strike his master, Socrates is unable to harm the laws, because they are on different planes of existence. Socrates also adds tha... Free Essays on Crito 1.) The Crito was written by Plato, who recounted the conversation held between Crito and Socrates just before his death. Socrates was charged with the corruption of the youth and was given a choice of exile or death. He chose death, and Crito was not at all happy about his decision. Crito felt that Socrates had been wronged by the government and should escape into exile. Socrates disagreed, saying that responding to evil with evil is wrong. If Socrates escaped, he would be doing harm to society as a whole. By escaping it could be seen as him trying to destroy the laws and in turn, the whole city by his actions, undermining the law. Socrates feels that â€Å"You must either persuade it [the laws] or obey its orders, and endure in silence whatever it instructs you to endure†¦ (p.51)† In other words, Socrates feels that it is wrong to protest the laws of the city because it disrupts the society, making them think that it’s okay to disobey laws and to protest and be violent against them, ultimately ruining the structural society. By escaping into exile, Socrates would be going against his own philosophy. Going into exile means that he would be fighting evil with evil and that he is not doing his part as a citizen. However, most importantly, Socrates feels that life is not worth living if the moral part of us is corrupted and that going into exile is doing moral harm. Socrates also knows that he made the decision to remain in Athens which means that he thinks the laws are just and right. If he felt they weren’t, he could have left and gone elsewhere at any time. However, he did not; therefore he made a social contract to obey the laws through his citizenship, and to accept his sentence of death that he himself chose. If Socrates thought exile was the right thing to do, he would’ve chosen that as his sentence instead. He did have a choice in the beginning, and there’s no turning back now. If he went into exile now an... Free Essays on Crito Philosophy 1010-008 Crito and Euthyphro Crito The "Crito" seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in two lights, one as the philosopher, and the other simply as the good citizen, who having been unjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the laws of the State. The days of Socrates are drawing to an end. The fatal ship has been seen off Sunium. Time is precious and Crito has come early in order to gain his consent to plan an escape. Crito believes, his friends, who can afford to help Socrates’ escape to Thessely, or any other place, can easily accomplish this. Crito will have no difficulty in finding friends in Thessaly and other places, who would protect Socrates and welcome him to stay. Socrates is afraid that Crito is being influenced by the opinions of the many. Socrates believes that you should only value the opinions of the experts. You do not go to a shoe salesman with a question about your health, just as you don’t ask a doctor about the best shoe. â€Å"But why, my dear Crito, should we care about the opinion of the many? The most reasonable people, to whom one should pay more attention, will believe that things were done as they were done.† Crito. â€Å"But do you see, Socrates, that the opinion of the many must be regarded, as is evident in your own case, because they can do the very greatest evil to anyone who has lost their good opinion.† Socrates. â€Å"I only wish, Crito, that they could; for then they could also do the greatest good, and that would be well. But the truth is, that they can do neither good nor evil: they cannot make a man wise or make him foolish; and whatever they do is the result of chance. (Plato: Five Dialogues 44c-e).† â€Å"One should follow the opinion of the wise (physicians and trainers) with regard to the health of the body. Life would not be worth living in an unhealthy body.† According to Socrates if you take the advice of the many it is l...