Introduction
The book Plato, Crito is a dialogue between Crito and Socrates who pays a visit to Socrates in his cell sometime before dawn. Crito had made plans to get Socrates out of prison to exile safety. Socrates turns the so many arguments that are presented to him about the plans to have him out of the prison cell. Crito is influenced by what he terms as the unjust death of his friend and he fears that the community will criticize him that he made no efforts to bring to safety his lifetime friend.
Socrates is given an opportunity to escape from prison but interestingly he refuses and argues that it is better for him as a philosopher to obey the laws of his State (Athens) than being forced to recognize the official gods that have no rational reason to be recognized. It is not sensible enough for somebody who is in danger to refuse an offer to get out of such danger with reasons based on ethical conduct. I agree with Crito that Socrates at this occasion must have gone out of his senses by refusing to escape from prison after the plans are laid by his lifetime friend Crito. In the dialogue, Crito interestingly tried all that he can to convince Socrates that it was justified for him to run from prison but Socrates in the contrary argues against this from an ethical perspective that; “it is not right to harm anyone at any time, it is not right to disobey promises” and so we should always try to keep them. Finally, he argues that, “it is absolutely not rational for anyone to disobey his or her own parents”.
As more as I personally feel the need for ethical conduct in one’s life whether being a philosopher or not, Socrates concern for good ethical conduct of obeying the law minding less about his own life does not make any sense. I tend to think that a person’s life is the most precious thing that every individual should ever preserve but Socrates denies his friend’s argument on how his life was important. Therefore, Socrates should have considered his safety above everything else. Funny enough Socrates knew that he was innocent and so it would have been justifiable for him to illegally sneak out of prison as planned by his friend. Crito explains this to his friend but he refuses making strong arguments that Crito considers to be funny and interesting.
The arguments of Socrates are more interesting when he was approached by Crito and requested to escape from prison. He argues that his escape from prison will have a detrimental harm to the state. Imagine of a situation that you are put into troubles by your state and when you get unethical way of getting out of such troubles you deny, could something be wrong with your mind? Considering that legal ways to freedom had failed and you end up denying the unethical way because you consider not harming the state. Socrates in this situation wanted to see the laws of his state being enforced. He considers that if he disobey the court order then the laws of the country will be rendered useless. Crito addresses Socrates as an interesting character as he considers obedience to the law than his life. In my fair opinion the state itself through its legal system disobeyed the law then it is not critically reasonable enough to risk your sacred life for the sake of already rendered useless laws.
Crito in the dialogue also presents something interesting about Socrates arguments. Crito pressingly tells his friend that it should not be right just for him to wait for execution and leave his children without a farther. This is not sensible in that Socrates will be aiding his enemies in hurting him unjustly and also it would not be rational for Socrates to consider obeying enemies’ rules and regulations and leave his children without a father.
Crito further presents Socrates’ lack of sense when he asks the servant to bring him the intended poison to execute him. Interestingly, Socrates after the poison is brought, he inquires from the servant the instructions on how to consume and make the poison effective as quickly as possible. Crito wonders of Socrates cheerful drinking of the poison and the calmness he maintains when they cried after Socrates finished drinking from the cup. Socrates asks, “What is this strange outcry?” It is not rationally sensible for one to cheer for his death. It is also funny that Socrates managed to take away his life at the watch of his friend.
In conclusion the dialogue presented the last times of Socrates life on his prison cell. I personally consider the dialogue interesting in that Socrates considers his ethical obedience to the law a first priority than his life. Crito considers this not sensible thus he argued as he can possibly can but Socrates managed to convince him at last and he drank the poison.
