Philosophy
T-TH 11:00
The dialogue of the “Crito” is one of the last works done by Plato, a student of Socrates, about Socrates’ final time in jail before he faces his sentence of death from the city of Athens. Crito is trying to persuade Socrates on why he should escape the prison he was falsely put in. throughout all of his pleas for Socrates to escape; Socrates does not fulfill Crito’s wishes. Instead he has a discussion with Crito to see if his student can put together a fully logical argument as to why he should escape. Socrates’ love of arguments is what sparks the talk. He tells Crito that if he can manage to persuade him to escape during their argument that he would do so but, if he cannot sway Socrates away from his decision of staying that he cannot would not leave and face his sentence of death.
Crito attempts to persuade Socrates by telling him that he was wrongly imprisoned and his sentence was not justified. When he tells him this he says that he therefore does not need be there and it is his duty to escape from that prison. Crito is aware that Socrates knows his sentence was not right but he could still not figure out why he would not escape. Socrates then tells Crito, “When one has come to an agreement that is just with someone, should one fulfill it?” Crito agrees without any hesitation, he then knows now even though the sentencing was wrong that Socrates would carry out his agreement with the court. Socrates is a citizen of Athens and will follow the law just as everyone else in the city would. He is very virtuous and knows that he is seen as the most intelligent man in the city that if he were to escape that soon many others would do the same and he does not want this to happen. He does not want to set a bad example for the people and destroy the city.
Crito then attempts to appeal to Socrates’ emotions by telling him that they would lose a very dear and valuable friend and his children would lose a father. Like the other argument this does not prove to be very effective against Socrates. Socrates then goes on to say that he will only abide by his city’s rules as wrong as they can be sometimes. He would want his family and friends to do the same thing because it is the right thing to do even though to many it would not seem like the choice to make. Though the city officials can be corrupt he will follow the rules in place because he like every other citizen of Athens is on a social contract. This is his tacit consent of anything that happens legally will be followed through with because he loves the city that he loves in. If this were not the case he could of easily have left and gone to a different city state. But Socrates did not leave the city so therefore he is bound to all laws. Crito tries to tell socrates that if he doesn't escape people will think that he is a fool, but still he does not waiver in his decision. With socrates’s level of reasoning he will not nor will he ever care about the majorities opinions of him. He knows that he has lived a worthy life and the only person he has to please on his quest to virtue.After Socrates convinces Crito that he will not leave and Crito accepts the fact he lives him with a very important piece of knowledge. That Socrates’ greatest of all evils is hypocrisy, and that he should never go back against what he says or does no matter what. Socrates’ final response and greatest thing he tells Crito is that, “the most important thing in life is the good of one’s soul.” If he does not follow the five components of virtue than his soul is no longer good and all of his life’s work and goals would have been for nothing.