Socrates: Should It In The Right To Escape?

837 Words4 Pages

“May it be for the best. If it so please the gods, so be it.” (Cooper 44). Socrates states that if it pleases the gods then thats whats supposed to happen. Socrates has his morals that he grew up with and so does everyone else. On his way to his death some might say he should escape since his trial is unjust. Some might argue, like Socrates, that it isn't right for him to escape and go against his word. His friend Crito is trying to argue the reasons why Socrates is in the right for escaping, while Socrates is arguing the opposite, why his morals will not allow him to do so. Socrates argues many things and makes very firm arguments. If escaping is not just then he should not do it. He sticks to his word and his word is what he lives by. If …show more content…

That would not be good on his part because he would know this could happen but still proceed to escape and possibly be risking his friends lives. With the chance that his friends don't get caught and he did escape Socrates would be unlikely to find another town that welcomes him. There wouldn't be a city, that had well formed laws, that would allow a man who broke the laws of the city that he called him home for seventy years. If he were to find a city that had accepted him, he would not be able to continue his old life of questioning people and trying to improve them. He cant continue teaching people about how laws, goodness, and justice are the highest of value to people. Besides that, Socrates wouldn't be doing his sons any favor if he escaped and took them with him. This would just teach them the wrong idea about how laws work and how to accept the consequence of your wrong doing. If he were to leave them behind, in Athens, it wouldn't matter if he was dead or just exiled in some other city because they wouldn't be able to see him and he wouldn't be teaching them and being there when they grow up. Socrates confidently believes that if he left his sons, his friends would make sure they were taught the right

Open Document