“Crito”, Plato’s dialogue, contains the depiction of Socrates adopting the moral point of view, and not the ones dictated by religion or society. After his conviction, he was sent to prison where he was to wait for his execution. An old friend, Crito, paid Socrates a visit and informed him that plans had been made that would facilitate his escape and travel to another state. Socrates answer revolves around the idea that, by fleeing, he would disrespect the Athenian Laws.
On one hand, Crito insists that he reconsiders his position by appealing to a variety of arguments. Crito mentions the effects Socrates’ death would have on the public opinion of his friends who would be accused of abandoning Socrates. In response to this, Socrates remind him that what is essential is differentiating between false and true opinions and that what matters are those opinions to which one arrives through reason and justice, and not mere opinion.
Socrates’ argument contains three premises. The first one insists on the idea of living justly and not disobeying the law under any circumstance. The second one expresses his absolute conviction that it is never right to act wrongly, even when one has been wronged, like in his situation. The final premise is based on the idea that one must always keep one’s agreements. Therefore, Socrates’ answer is a definite “no”, even though that implies that he would lose his life (Cavalier, n.d.).
Bibliography
Cavalier, R. n.d. Ancient Philosophy (80-250). Retrieved from Carnegie Mellon University: http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80250/index.html
