Crito by Plato

In conclusion, I believe that it is blaspheme that Socrates is accused of corrupting Athenian’s children’s mind. He should not have received the death penalty, but I do understand it was by preference. I think that Socrates let his opinions get in the way of clear judgment when Crito tried to help him escape. However, I do realize why Socrates did not want to escape. Socrates made valid points by declaring that he does not believe in vengeances, disbeliefs in public opinions, and the personification of the Athenian government being seen as a father figure; as well as, not wanting to exile from his homeland.

In “Crito,” Plato uses Socrates as a tool to argue the point. Socrates is in jail for “preaching false gods” and “corrupting the youth” by causing them to doubt or disregard the wisdom of their elders. His friend Crito comes to visit and pleads with him to escape from his imprisonment and death sentence. Socrates asks Crito to give him one good reason that will hold up to scrutiny to persuade him, and then he will choose to escape. Crito brings up how people would think of him because he wouldn’t spend his money to get his friend out of jail.

Plato’s work, The Crito, explores one of the last days of Socrates’ life. This work is set in Socrates’ prison cell, where Socrates is visited by his close friend Crito. Crito is overwhelmed with emotion with the impending loss of his friend, and is attempting to passionately convince Socrates to run away and avoid his sentence set upon him by the court. Crito presents many arguments that would be compelling to most men of his time. Socrates lays out the principles that he has chosen to live his life by and challenges Crito to convince him to leave after considering these principles.

As Socrates awaits his upcoming execution; he is visited before dawn by a close old friend Crito. Crito has made arrangements to help Socrates escape from prison. Socrates is grateful to his old friend for his willing to help aide him in the escape. However, Socrates is quite willing to await his execution. Crito tries to change Socrates mind about escaping by presenting him with several arguments.

Socrates was being guided by his moral beliefs when he decided not to escape from prison. Socrates informs us of his principle when he says, “[…] my first principle, that neither injury nor retaliation not warding off evil by evil is ever right.”(1). Retaliation and injuring other people is what Socrates did not lived by. For this reason, Socrates knew that if he were to escape, the state would prosecute his family and friends. Consequently, Socrates was afraid that the state would harm his family by depriving them of property or citizenship.

In Plato’s Crito, Socrates’s commitment to virtue is illustrated. Socrates is imprisoned and has been sentenced to death. Socrates will most likely be put to death the next day. One of Socrates’ friends and supporters, Crito, comes in and tells Socrates that he has paid off the guard and that they must move quickly and escape. Socrates says it would be unjust for him to escape, as Crito pleads for him to leave.

Euthyphro states that he too has come across some unapproved details due to some of his godly thoughts that where often not believed as well and Socrates will just have to get through the storm. Socrates then question why Euthyphro has come before the court, with Euthyphro answering that he is prosecuting his own father for murder. Socrates is amazed that Euthyphro would actually prosecute his own father, and says that Euthyphro must be an expert in these matters to be able to do ... ... middle of paper ... ...ristic of Socrates and how he did things; he never criticized people's thoughts just wanted to make them think. By the end of the dialogue, Socrates has achieved one conclusion through the conversation; that holiness is in fact not just simply good will whether it is toward god(s) or man. It is something more, something that cannot be grasped himself or Euthyphro, sometimes good will is simply good will it is not necessarily holy.

In entry 5, it is supposed to show Theseus’s attempt to remember to switch the flags depending on the outcome between him and the minotaur. So when Theseus writes “[w]hite alive, black dead”, is is attempt to remember, but even when he tries to remember what he is supposed to do, he still forgets to change the flag. As a result, that leads to his father’s death. Theseus’s character flaw of forgetfulness affects people around him, his father who commits suicide, and also affects him, becoming the new king of Athens. Although becoming the king of Athens does not seem like a bad event, in Theseus’s case, becoming the king of Athens does not directly lead to his success.

In his refusal to accept exile from Athens or a commitment of silence as a penalty, he chooses death and is thrown into prison. While Socrates is awaiting his execution, many of his friends, including Crito, arrive with a foolproof plan for his escape from Athens to live in exile voluntarily. Socrates calmly debates with each friend over the moral value and justification of such an act. “...people who do not know you and me will believe that I might have saved you if I had been willing to give money, but that I did not care.” -Crito (Wolff 37). Crito believed that by helping Socrates to escape, he could go on to fulfill his personal obligations.

010592933 Though Socrates has been unjustly incarcerated, he refuses to escape due to his implied agreement with the Athenian legal system. This paper serves to argue that Socrates’ line of reasoning to Crito does not properly address actions committed under an unjust legal system. In Plato’s Crito, the title character arrives to help Socrates break out of incarceration, but Socrates refuses. Crito made his most compelling argument by stating “I think you are betraying your sons by going away and leaving them, when you could bring them up and educate them” (45b-c). Crito later amended his argument by adding, “You seem to me to choose the easiest path, whereas one should choose the path a good and courageous man would choose, particularly when