The Crito, By Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who is accredited as the main source of establishing the fundamentals of modern Western philosophy and logic. He is notably known for creating the Socratic method, Socratic irony and contributing to the field of ethics. Socrates was ahead of his time as he established an ethical system based on logos, human reason, rather than mythos, theological doctrine. This change from fables claiming divine warrant, to the pursuit of knowledge of central concepts and values based on reasoned arguments, is what cost Socrates his life. However, according to Socrates, death is not an entity that should be feared or avoided, as death is the separation of body and soul to which the soul then travels to an afterlife.
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In the Crito, a conversation between Socrates and an old friend, Crito, takes place about escaping from prison.
Before Crito arrives, he makes many arrangements with many people, allowing Socrates to flee Athens safely, however, Socrates refuses and remains adamant on his execution. Crito is perplexed at Socrates’ denial to escape, but Socrates claims that “a good life is equivalent to a just and honourable one” (Kirkland, 36), thus will not flee. Later on in the Phaedo, Socrates discusses that because the soul is immortal there was no need for him to escape prison, as for a philosopher he does not fear death, but welcome it. Socrates provides four arguments for his claim of soul immortality. The first argument is the Argument from Opposites which suggests that everything comes out of its opposite, such as death coming from life, and therefore how life will come out from death in this continuous life and death cycle. The second argument was the Theory of Recollection, which proposes that the soul has existed before one is born, since learning is a recollection of what has been learned from past lives. Thirdly, the Argument of Affinity claims there are a clear distinction between the unseen and seen, the immortal and the mortal, hence soul and the body. Lastly, the Argument from Form of Life expresses that Forms are the cause of all the things that exist in the world. These four arguments explained the soul to be immortal. Since Socrates takes a stance of soul immortality, he also believes that the soul goes into afterlife once separated from the body. Socrates explains his idea of the afterlife in the Apology, when he is sentenced to be executed by the
jury:
“Let us reflect in another way, and we shall see that there is great reason to hope that death is a good; for one of two things – either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another.” (Kirkland, 33).
Socrates claims that even though the Athenians believe it to be just for him to be executed, he believes that death in itself is another journey. He expresses that after his death he will be in annihilation or a migration to another place of souls meeting people, such as Hesiod and Homer. Socrates claims that whether he lives or dies, he “shall then be able to continue [his] search into true and false knowledge; as in this world, so also in the next, and [he] shall find out who is wise, and who pretends to be wise,” (Kirkland, 33).
In the Crito, a conversation between Socrates and an old friend, Crito, takes place about escaping from prison.
Before Crito arrives, he makes many arrangements with many people, allowing Socrates to flee Athens safely, however, Socrates refuses and remains adamant on his execution. Crito is perplexed at Socrates’ denial to escape, but Socrates claims that “a good life is equivalent to a just and honourable one” (Kirkland, 36), thus will not flee. Later on in the Phaedo, Socrates discusses that because the soul is immortal there was no need for him to escape prison, as for a philosopher he does not fear death, but welcome it. Socrates provides four arguments for his claim of soul immortality. The first argument is the Argument from Opposites which suggests that everything comes out of its opposite, such as death coming from life, and therefore how life will come out from death in this continuous life and death cycle. The second argument was the Theory of Recollection, which proposes that the soul has existed before one is born, since learning is a recollection of what has been learned from past lives. Thirdly, the Argument of Affinity claims there are a clear distinction between the unseen and seen, the immortal and the mortal, hence soul and the body. Lastly, the Argument from Form of Life expresses that Forms are the cause of all the things that exist in the world. These four arguments explained the soul to be immortal. Since Socrates takes a stance of soul immortality, he also believes that the soul goes into afterlife once separated from the body. Socrates explains his idea of the afterlife in the Apology, when he is sentenced to be executed by the
jury:
“Let us reflect in another way, and we shall see that there is great reason to hope that death is a good; for one of two things – either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another.” (Kirkland, 33).
Socrates claims that even though the Athenians believe it to be just for him to be executed, he believes that death in itself is another journey. He expresses that after his death he will be in annihilation or a migration to another place of souls meeting people, such as Hesiod and Homer. Socrates claims that whether he lives or dies, he “shall then be able to continue [his] search into true and false knowledge; as in this world, so also in the next, and [he] shall find out who is wise, and who pretends to be wise,” (Kirkland, 33).