In a gripping dialogue, a friend visits someone in prison and proposes a daring plan to help them escape. The prisoner, however, is not so easily convinced.
This is the situation presented in the text we will be exploring today. We will delve into the arguments presented by the visitor and the prisoner’s responses, examining the ethical and practical considerations at play.
Join us as we explore the thought-provoking debate on whether or not to escape from prison.
What Does Crito Try To Persuade Socrates To Do
In the dialogue, the visitor proposes to the prisoner that they should escape from prison. The visitor presents several arguments to persuade the prisoner to escape, including practical considerations such as the potential harm to the prisoner’s friends’ reputations and the financial cost of the escape. Additionally, the visitor argues that staying in prison would be unjust and that the prisoner would be abandoning their family.
Introducing The Characters: Crito And Socrates
Crito is an old friend of Socrates who visits him in his prison cell before dawn. He has made arrangements to smuggle Socrates out of prison to the safety of exile and tries to persuade him to escape. Crito presents various arguments to convince Socrates to flee, including practical and ethical considerations. On the other hand, Socrates is an important philosopher and public figure in Athens in the fourth century BC. He is known for his philosophical practice, which involves engaging others in dialogue and challenging their existing beliefs. In Crito, Socrates uses his signature method to challenge Crito’s proposal of escaping from prison and questions the morality of evading a legally rendered verdict. He personifies the Laws of Athens to prove that injustice may not be answered with injustice and refuses Crito’s offer to finance his escape from prison. The character of Socrates is ultimately a literary invention of Plato, and it is difficult to determine how much he represents views that Socrates actually held versus how much he serves as a mouthpiece for Plato’s own beliefs.
Crito’s Proposal: The Plan To Escape
Crito’s proposal to Socrates involves a plan to escape from prison. He suggests that they can easily bribe the guards and smuggle Socrates out of prison that night. Crito argues that if Socrates does not escape, people will think that he did not willingly face execution, and instead, Crito will be accused of not having helped his friend. He also mentions that there are wealthy men who can put up the money for the bribe, and they have friends in Thessaly who would be delighted to take in Socrates and protect him.
Crito further argues that staying in prison would be unjust since Socrates was wrongfully condemned. By refusing to escape, Socrates is treating himself as his enemies want to treat him, and he is wronging himself. Moreover, Socrates would be abandoning his sons before their upbringing and education has been completed, which is against his responsibility as a father. Crito suggests that a man like Socrates, who has dedicated his life to pursuing the good, must not abandon his sons like this.
Socrates’ Counterarguments: Ethical And Practical Considerations
Socrates offers several counterarguments to the visitor’s persuasive points. First, he argues that the opinions of the majority are not always correct, and that it is not just to harm oneself or others in order to avoid harm from unjust people. Socrates believes that escaping from prison would be an unjust act, as it would involve breaking the laws of Athens and harming the state. He also argues that by staying in prison and accepting his punishment, he is upholding his moral principles and setting an example for others to follow.
Socrates’ counterarguments also consider practical considerations. He points out that escaping from prison would not necessarily lead to a better life, as he would always be looking over his shoulder and living in fear of being caught. Additionally, he argues that by escaping, he would be betraying his friends who helped him and putting them at risk of punishment. Socrates also questions the visitor’s argument that staying in prison would be abandoning his family, pointing out that he has lived his entire life in service to Athens and its laws, which is a form of family to him.
The Importance Of Justice: Socrates’ Final Decision
However, Socrates ultimately decides not to escape from prison, arguing that it would be morally incorrect to do so. He believes that breaking the law would harm the social contract between himself and the city of Athens. Socrates argues that citizens have a duty to abide by the laws of their city, and by breaking the law, he would be breaking his agreement with the city. Furthermore, he argues that breaking one law would be equivalent to breaking all of them, as they are seen as one entity.
Socrates also argues that escaping from prison would harm his soul and reputation. He believes that living with a ruined soul is not worth living at all. By escaping, he would be viewed as a criminal and an outlaw in any other civilized state. Even in death, he would be harshly judged in the underworld for behaving unjustly toward his city’s laws.
The Legacy Of Crito: Lessons For Modern Society
The Crito dialogue has had a significant impact on modern society, particularly in the realm of political philosophy. One of the most enduring legacies of Crito is the concept of the social contract, which Socrates introduces in the dialogue. The social contract suggests that a legal system exists as a result of a kind of agreement between the individual and the state. This idea has had a tremendous impact on modern political theory and has helped to shape our understanding of the relationship between citizens and the state.
Additionally, Crito raises important questions about justice and law. The dialogue highlights the tension between obeying the laws of the state and acting in accordance with one’s own moral principles. This tension is still relevant today, as individuals and societies struggle to balance competing interests and obligations.
Moreover, Crito emphasizes the importance of thinking for oneself and making ethical decisions based on reasoned arguments. The dialogue encourages us to question authority and to examine our own beliefs and assumptions. By presenting conflicting arguments and leaving the ultimate decision up to Socrates, Plato invites readers to engage in their own critical thinking and reflection.
Overall, Crito offers valuable lessons for modern society about the nature of justice, the relationship between individuals and the state, and the importance of critical thinking and ethical decision-making.
