Crito, by Plato
Cool quote from the text:
“But if you go forth, returning evil for evil, and injury for injury, breaking the covenants and agreements which you have made with us, and wronging those whom you ought least to wrong, that is to say, yourself, your friends, your country, and us, we shall be angry with you while you live, and our brethren, the laws in the world below, will receive you as an enemy; for they will know that you have done your best to destroy us.”
You can read Crito here: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/crito.html.
Crito arrives at the prison of Socrates (which is the name of the scene). Socrates is imprisoned because of the events in the Apology, another dialogue which we will cover soon. Anyways, Chariot has bribed the guards and now wants Socrates to escape, as Socrates will be put to death soon. But Socrates doesn’t really give a shit, and he even says that in a dream he had, a woman told him that he would have an extra day to live.
“O Socrates, The third day hence to fertile Phthia shalt thou go.”
So Socrates doesn’t want to go, but Crito tries to get him to escape. First, Crito says that Socrates will be regarded as a bad friend, for if he did not save his friend, he would be uncaring. Next, Crito is pretty wealthy and has a lot of connections, so he tells Socrates that it is very easy for him to escape, for the guards don’t even want too much money and there will be friends in other towns that will be hospitable toward Socrates. Crito finally states that Socrates needs to stay alive for his children, and that choosing death would be the same as abandoning his children.
“but there is another evil: people who do not know you and me will believe that I might have saved you if I had been willing to give money, but that I did not care.”
“Fear not--there are persons who are willing to get you out of prison at no great cost”
“And further I should say that you are deserting your own children.”
To Crito’s first point, Socrates says that the view of many people is not worth considering, and only the view of the expert on the topic should be. For example, you should listen to your teacher or tutor in creating a habit of study, not your unknowledgeable friends. Socrates then moves to a related note, where justice is higher than the body (which is what the view of the multitude would harm), so he must abide by the justice of Athens and face death. Socrates values only the good life or the life of justice, and not life that merely considers other’s views and the body.
Then, big brain Socrates formulates an offensive on Crito. He first says that doing any sort of wrong is wrong and that there should be no consequentialism.
“Socrates: And what of doing evil in return for evil, which is the morality of the many--is that just or not?
Crito: Not just.”
The next premise that Socrates forms involves the social contract: where one should never violate an agreement if the agreement is just, which it should be as why would it have been made in the first place? Socrates speaks as if he is Athenian law. In this role, he remarks that Socrates (himself) had chosen to stay in Athens, which proves that Socrates has great love for Athens. Socrates had deliberately chosen to become an Athenian citizen, so if he were to escape he would be contributing to the direct attack of society. The laws also greatly helped Socrates, regulating marriage, birth, education, etc..
“Socrates (playing the law): Say whether you have an objection to urge against those of us who after regulating marriage?
Socrates (playing himself): None, I should reply.”
“For you never went out of the city either to see the games…”
Would Socrates even be able to find hospitality in another city, for he had transgressed the laws of his own city already?
“if you fly to one of the neighbouring cities, as for example, Thebes or Megara, both of which are well governed, [you] will come to them as an enemy”
The decision of the state in the word of law is that Socrates must face death, so with his great ethical beliefs, he shall follow through. Plus, Socrates is too wise and thinks that human and mortal life isn’t the most important thing ever, which we will see more of later, so why would he act evil for something as trivial as life.
The social contract, in Socrates’ word, is an obligation where a good person will recognize the piety of the state. The state is foundational to society, as it takes care of the wellbeing of its citizens, which has served hundreds and thousands of people, making it much more important than any one person. And since Socrates has accepted and cherished the protection of the state, he must also take on the consequences the state issues.
“as a philosopher like you failed to discover that our country is more to be valued and higher and holier far than mother or father or any ancestor, and more to be regarded in the eyes of the gods and of men of understanding?”