The Crito Argument
The dialogue of The Crito evaluates one of the last days of Socrates life. Upon which, Socrates has been awaiting his execution for a month due to a religious mission to the island of Delios, sacred to Apollo during which no executions can take place, insinuating that Socrates has had much time to ponder his sentence and escape, as well as the result of further action. Crito eagerly attempts persuading Socrates to escape by presenting many gripping arguments. Socrates responds to these arguments by asking/interrogating Crito with questions surrounding pressing life principles that both men agree on and by doing so provides an argument against Crito’s encouragements of escape.
No Athenian law prevents any Athenian from leaving, and the laws
allow that at the age of 18 any man may leave Athens. It is implied that if a man does not leave the city of Athens he has agreed to obey the city laws. Socrates, at age 70 has had much time to determine the agreements of the court of Athens to be unjust, and thus choose to leave. Socrates had instead chose to stay in Athens, have children, and refrain from visiting other city states, thus implying that the city had been exceptionally fair to him and that he shall agree with the verdicts of the court and will obey them. On page 54 in 51 c of The Crito, “It is impious to bring violence to bear against your mother or father, it is much more so to use it against your country.” By escaping Socrates would display weakness in the courts and law, rupturing the civil disobedience of the city.
Socrates believes he is on a mission from the gods to philosophize or interrogate, which the city has sworn he must not do. In 48 on page 50 of the Crito, Socrates and Crito agree that the soul is much more valuable than the body and that life with a corrupted soul is not worth living. Socrates cannot continue to live and philosophize as an exile as it would be unjust and thus harmful to his soul. As a citizen of Athens, having agreed to obey the laws he cannot escape prison, as that action would also be unjust. Also, by intentionally wrong doing Socrates may validate other accusations of wrong doing upon himself. On page 56 in 53 c of The Crito, “You will also strengthen the conviction of the jury that they passed the right sentence on you, for anyone who destroys the laws could easily be thought to corrupt the young and the ignorant.” Socrates believes that disobeying the gods would do greater harm to the soul than disobeying the city court. Socrates chooses death over exile or escape. In 29 d on page 36 of the Apology, Socrates references his daimonia, “It is a voice, and whenever it speaks it turns me away from something I am about to do, but it never encourages me to do anything.” The fact that this voice does not intervene during the trial suggests that the way of the trial may also be the way of the gods. Socrates shows no fear of death as he may believe he will continue to philosophize after death.
No Athenian law prevents any Athenian from leaving, and the laws
allow that at the age of 18 any man may leave Athens. It is implied that if a man does not leave the city of Athens he has agreed to obey the city laws. Socrates, at age 70 has had much time to determine the agreements of the court of Athens to be unjust, and thus choose to leave. Socrates had instead chose to stay in Athens, have children, and refrain from visiting other city states, thus implying that the city had been exceptionally fair to him and that he shall agree with the verdicts of the court and will obey them. On page 54 in 51 c of The Crito, “It is impious to bring violence to bear against your mother or father, it is much more so to use it against your country.” By escaping Socrates would display weakness in the courts and law, rupturing the civil disobedience of the city.
Socrates believes he is on a mission from the gods to philosophize or interrogate, which the city has sworn he must not do. In 48 on page 50 of the Crito, Socrates and Crito agree that the soul is much more valuable than the body and that life with a corrupted soul is not worth living. Socrates cannot continue to live and philosophize as an exile as it would be unjust and thus harmful to his soul. As a citizen of Athens, having agreed to obey the laws he cannot escape prison, as that action would also be unjust. Also, by intentionally wrong doing Socrates may validate other accusations of wrong doing upon himself. On page 56 in 53 c of The Crito, “You will also strengthen the conviction of the jury that they passed the right sentence on you, for anyone who destroys the laws could easily be thought to corrupt the young and the ignorant.” Socrates believes that disobeying the gods would do greater harm to the soul than disobeying the city court. Socrates chooses death over exile or escape. In 29 d on page 36 of the Apology, Socrates references his daimonia, “It is a voice, and whenever it speaks it turns me away from something I am about to do, but it never encourages me to do anything.” The fact that this voice does not intervene during the trial suggests that the way of the trial may also be the way of the gods. Socrates shows no fear of death as he may believe he will continue to philosophize after death.