Crito Essay - 1581 Words

Socrates has been accused of corrupting the youth by Meletus and has been sentenced to death. He 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 evading the government. Crito does not understand the madness of Socrates, and would like nothing more than to help his dear friend escape to freedom. quot;†¦I 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†¦show more content†¦Any person who would unjustly disobey these laws creates a deliberate attempt to destroy them, as well as, the society that has imposed them. For example, quot;†¦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.quot; (Crito p.54e) 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 society stands for and does not accept the consequences for his actions, then there can not be a system of law in place to create order. quot;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.quot;(Crito p.53b) The society in which a person lives creates a mutual relationship in which every person in that society is indebted to, if he willingly accepts that society for his own. Following along these basic concepts, Socrates then adapts them to his own circumstances, which have presented to Socrates by his companion Crito, that being the option to escape from his captors and renounce their decision on his fate. Socrates concludes that if he were to follow Crito’s advice he would beShow MoreRelatedPlatos The Crito Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos The Crito 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 â€Å"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 becauseRead MoreEssay about Socrates Argument with Crito536 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates Argument with Crito Socrates has presented a period of questions and answers through dialogue with Crito to examine if he going into exile will damage his reputation. 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