Crito a Good Friend of Socrates - Essay Example

Crito Socrates was imprisoned and was sentenced to death at Athens’ prison. Apparently, a galley sailed off for an annual religious service toDelos. Being so sacred for the Athenians, no executions were permitted while the galley was away. While waiting for the ship to arrive at Athens and for his death, Socrates’ old friend came to try to save him by convincing him to break out of prison. Crito, being so faithful and a good friend of Socrates, made everything that was needed for Socrates to break out of prison.

He tried everything that was necessary in order to save his friend’s life. He persuaded Socrates to escape out of prison and proposed a future plan of moving away from Athens and to live to an adjacent city, Thessaly. However Socrates, being persuaded by Crito, did not responded to his friend’ plea. He neglected his friends’ proposal for reasons he had given. He had based his reasons for clear and precise arguments. Socrates believes that: 1. One ought to live rightly. 2. One ought never to do wrong. 3. One must never do wrong in return for a wrong. 4. One ought to keep agreements. 5. It would be wrong to break the laws. 6. Laws are just.

Socrates believed that all laws authorized by a certain state should be obeyed, not by majority, by all individuals within the state. Being a citizen of Athens, Socrates already knew Athens’ laws and still continued to live there. When one is already familiar with the laws of a state, and still he chooses to continue to live there, he enters into an implied contract to obey the laws of the state and; having entered into the contract, one should either obey the laws or convince the state that they are unjust.

Then Socrates, being a citizen of Athens, entered into an implied contract agreement to obey Athens’ laws. So, having entered into the contract Socrates must either obey the laws or convince Athens’ that he is unjust. It is because other than the two, anything else would be an unjust violation of the contract agreement between the citizen and the state. Therefore, in order that Socrates would not make any violation of the contract agreement between him and Athens, he must obey the law and convince the Athens that he is unjust by not to escape from prison and the coming death.

Socrates’ decision of not coming along Crito and his plan was the best and the right thing to be done. Some may think that Socrates was acting like a fool for what he had done. However examining Socrates’ reasons, to be based by arguments, it is clear that what he has done was the right thing. The vital part of his reasons was the first one. One ought to live rightly. Living rightly is the same as living well or living justly. Socrates believes that one is ought to live a just life, and in order to live a just life, one must do right and must not do what is not right and that it is not right to do wrong, and that laws are just.

Socrates was wronged by the citizens. To escape in prison is to disobey the law and to disobey the law is to break an agreement between Athens and him; breaking an agreement is doing wrong, and doing wrong will eventually harm others therefore it is wrong; to inflict a wrong doing in return for a wrong is wrong. If I were in Socrates’ shoes, I would have done the same. What he thought and believed was simple and just. Like him, I also believe that laws are just and that one must live right.

In order to live right and just, one must do what is right and must not do what is not right. Even thinking that my life would be over pretty soon, I would still be considering my thoughts and arguments by which I am living for and by. This act is right for two lines of reasons. First, if I would escape the prison and escape death, neither I am obeying the law anymore, nor I am successful on convincing my state that I am unjust, rather I am doing a thing that is a just violation of the implied contract agreement between me and the state that rose when I started to choose the state as a place for me to live.

Moreover, as I am violating the contract agreement between me and the state, I am no longer obeying the law, and that I am breaking an agreement. Further, failure to keep an agreement is disobeying the laws which, by nature, are just. To disobey laws is to do wrong, and by doing wrong, I am not living a just life. Second, if I would escape from prison and disobey the law, I am to do wrong. Considering that I was imprisoned because the citizens, not the law, wronged me for what I am or what I have done, it shows that I am doing wrong in return for what the citizens have done, which was wrong.

Since it is wrong to inflict wrong in return for a wrong, I am doing wrong anymore; and to do what is wrong is to do what is not right, and to do what is not right will now technically disallows me upon living rightly.