Socrates Exile

In the book The Trial and Death of Socrates, Socrates is faced to refute a friend's argument for him to escape Athens and not to be put to death. Socrates however, being a man of pious intent and just composition, believes for many reasons, that escaping is not the just thing to do. He provides many reasons for his point of view, The main reason Socrates does not flee Athens is because of the way he lives his life. What was ultimately most important about Socrates' inquiries was, indeed, the unceasing practice and habit of being critical and thoughtful--of not being blind to one's own unfounded convictions and presuppositions. Thoughtfulness and critical self-awareness as a way of life is what Socrates stands for. Socrates ultimate way of life was to live one’s life and focus on self-development, rather than trying to become rich. Socrates didn’t believe that virtue could be
Socrates tried his hardest to convince Crito with his convictions, but ultimately was unable, even though he raised very good points on how he chose to live in the city, and therefore must abide by its laws, which Socrates has decided are worth his loyalty since he has never had any problems with Athens. Philosophy, the love of wisdom, was for Socrates itself a sacred path, a holy quest -- not a game to be taken lightly. For Socrates, philosophy was primarily a way of life, not merely a mental construction. In Plato’s Crito (43a), Socrates says that, should he attempt to flee, the Laws themselves would appear before him and ask him: “O Socrates, tell us, why do you want to destroy us and this city? Don’t you know that a city where court verdicts are nullified by individual citizens cannot survive for long?” Socrates loved his city and was rather unwilling to leave it, even for a small