Crito and Socrates
According to this dialogue, it was a last day of Socrates. Crito visited Socrates in prison and wanted to help Socrates to escape from the prison before the execution， but Socrates refused. There are two reasons can be discussed in this essay. Firstly, it can be that Socrates was afraid Crito may get into trouble for helping himself to get away from the prison. Socrates insisted his honor principle and he thought it is irresponsible to escape from the prison. Secondly, Socrates thinks that to obey the law is the most important rule in their society, and he does not want to breach this.
To begin with, Crito attempted to persuade Socrates to allow his friends to help him escape from prison. He presented many arguments that he can to persuade Socrates accept to escape. Crito was fears that others will criticize him for not rescuing his friend Socrates. However, Socrates was found out that this popular opinion was irrelevant. “We must not regard what the many say of us: but what he, the one man who has understanding of just and unjust, will say, and what the truth will say (p.25)” Socrates believed and argued back to Crito that public opinion is not always right, and he was more concerned about the matters of justice and injustice. Thus, Crito was persuaded to agree with Socrates argument here.
Then, Socrates came up with the point that it is better to do right than wrong, no matter under what the circumstances. Although jurors had treated Socrates unjustly, but it would be wrong to contrary the law by escaping. Socrates explained to Crito that, the relationship between citizens and laws is like child and parent. It is like, if citizens are not obeying the laws, it just like a child against to parent, and it is just not right. Socrates was believed that they should try to persuade the laws instead of escape from it. Since, Socrates thought he was found guilty by country, so if he escapes from the prison which is not complying with the law, this conduct will lose its validity and authority to everyone in the society as the result. “But if you go forth, returning evil for evil, and injury for injury, breaking the covenants and agreements which you have made with us, and wronging those whom you ought least to wrong (p.30)”he said. It is only to establish the authority of the law, and ensure the existence of the national order and social justice. As a result，Socrates chose to decline Crito to proceed with the escaping planning, and die for his city and its system of justice.
The Essay on Crito Socrates Laws Athens
While awaiting his execution in prison, Socrates was confronted by his friend Crito, and given an opportunity to escape. Crito offered a multitude of reasons to support his proposal, however Socrates refused to leave on the basis of four premises: - One must never do wrong, even in return for wrong. - It is wrong to break a just agreement. - The agreement between the laws of Athens and its ...
In conclusion, Socrates is the person who full of honest and responsible. When death nearly of Socrates, he was rational and calm, not everyone can be like this when the death is approaching. Therefore, this is worth for people to show their respect to Socrates. But I was more appreciated when Socrates was wronged in imprisonment. Even he was sentenced to death, but he still sticks to moral, respect for the law of the city, and uses rational thinking to analyze his situation at that time. He thought escape from the prison is breaching the law which is unjust and morally unjustified. Therefore, I strongly agree with Socrates’s opinions by not following the other people’s opinions blindly, and only consider the right and truth and being abidance by law that establishes the authority of the law.
Reference：
Plato. ‘Crito.’ Texts and Traditions Unit Reader. UWS, 2013. 20-30.
