Socrates in Phaedo by Plato

Although Socrates could easily give in and plead for a ... ... middle of paper ... ...” (16). Socrates did not want to give in and humor the Athenians by letting them see him acting in such a lowly way. Socrates doesn’t see the point in changing the way he lives his life in what very well may be the last moments of it just to attempt to buy himself a little more time. It isn’t very often that we meet someone who, like Socrates, can look at a terrible and depressing situation and be seemingly unafraid, noticeably with pride still in tact. He doesn’t opt for extra time that would bring along with it pain and humiliation, but instead accepts and wonders about his upcoming death.

Socrates cannot believe this oracle, so he sets out to disprove it by finding someone who is wiser. He goes to a politician, who is thought wise by him self and others. Socrates does not think this man to be wise and tells him so. As a consequence, the politician hated Socrates, as did others who heard the questioning. "I am better off, because while he knows nothing but thinks that he knows, I neither know nor think that I know" (Socrates).

I think this because we do not know what death really is. We do not know what will happen when we die. It could be good or it could be bad, but Socrates believes that we should not fear things that we do not know about. We should only fear things that we know are bad and want the things that we know are good. When we do this with death, it is clear that we do not know about it and should not fear it.

“I am afraid that other people do not realize that the one aim of those who practice philosophy in the proper manner is to practice for dying and death.” While the body desires pleasures of the flesh, the soul desires wisdom. Truth cannot be perceived by senses. So if the search for final and absolute truth is accompanied by one’s body, the person is bound to be deceived. “For whenever it attempts to examine anything with the body, it is clearly deceived by it.” A philosopher must avoid the lusts and desires that trouble the soul when it is imprisoned within the body. He knows not to place the highest value on the pleasures of the body, such as eating and drinking.

To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it. Socrates felt that if he was unable to examine life, he would not be really living. To Socrates, living meant being able to question the world around him. Examining life gives one freedom.

Many people seem to fear death, but philosophers such as Socrates and Epicurus would argue that one has no reason to fear it. Socrates sees death as a blessing to be wished for if death is either nothingness or a relocation of the soul, whereas Epicurus argues that one shouldn't worry themselves about death since, once we are gone, death is annihilation which is neither good nor bad. Epicurus believes that death itself is a total lack of perception, wherein there is no pleasure or pain. I agree with Epicurus because Socrates doesn't give a sound argument for death as a blessing, whereas Epicurus' argument is cogent. I would also argue personally that death is not something to be feared because, like Epicurus, I see no sufficient evidence showing we even exist after death.

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.

Socrates however, never failed to accept that his philosophy was wrong. Ergo, he felt the urge to preach philosophy as much as he could. Realizing that prison was not going to bring an end to Socrates way of thinking, and the preaching of his philosophy, they then decided to kill him. This however did not have an impact of Socrates what so ever. For Socrates being a philosopher, the body and the soul were

Euthypro early in the conversation even compares himself as being likewise in thought with Socrates. Euthypro tells Socrates that the people are jealous of them and they must be brave in approaching them. Then instantly as a true hypocrite, Euthypro takes a step back when he tells Socrates that he is never likely to anger the people in Athens as he does. Since they obviously think alike, the difference is that Socrates is willing to openly speak the truth of his mind regardless of the consequences, while Euthypro out of fear for his way of life barely publicly shares his thoughts. Since Euthypro isn’t willing to go out in public, he could never be accused like Socrates of corrupting anyone since no one hears him.

Crito thinks that no one would believe that Socrates had been willing to face his execution but, instead that Crito would be accused of not aid... ... middle of paper ... ...st of his life. Then when Socrates pass away, he will be harshly judged in the afterlife for behaving in an unjust manner towards his state’s laws. Thus, this is why he will not try to escape and based on his reasoning Crito has been convinced that it would be better for Socrates not attempt an escape. Works Cited * Plato. "Crito."