Crito

1. Crito Philosophy 1 Spring, 2002 G. J. Mattey

2. Escape? • Socrates will be executed in two or three days unless Crito and his other friends arrange his escape and exile from Athens • Money is no object, and he can take refuge in Thessaly • Crito says he would be thought shameful by the majority if he did not help Socrates when he had the means • He is willing to run the risk of reprisal

3. Who is to Judge? • Crito claims that the opinion of the majority is important, as they can do great harm • Socrates disagrees • We should pay more attention to the opinions of reasonable people • The majority can do no great harm because they can do no great good, since they cannot make a person foolish or wise, but only “inflict things haphazardly”

4. Justice? • Crito says it would not be just for Socrates not to save himself as his enemies wish • He is betraying his sons, whom he could educate • Someone who is not committed to his children’s well-being should not have them • Socrates is choosing the easiest path, not the path that the courageous man, concerned with virtue, would choose • He is also making his friends look bad for not allowing them to save him

5. Expertise • One should value the opinion of one who has knowledge over that of the many • The professional athlete should most value the opinion of the doctor or trainer • If he does not, he will suffer harm • This holds for all other matters, especially those regarding justice, shame, and good • Life is not worth living for us if we are corrupted by unjust actions

6. The Good Life • Still, the majority can put one to death • But the most important thing is not life itself, but the good life, which is also the beautiful and just life • So the issue of escape turns on whether it is a just act, not what the majority would think about it

7. Two Wrongs • The issue is not the consequences of escaping or not, but of its justice • To do wrong willingly is always harmful and shameful to the wrongdoer • So, one must never answer a wrong act with a wrong act • There is no common ground between those who disagree on this point

8. Contract • If two people make a just agreement, they should fulfill it • Leaving Athens would be an abrogation of an agreement that would harm the other party • The laws of the city would be undermined if the verdicts of its courts have no force

9. The Laws • Law must be followed, whether it is justly or unjustly applied • Socrates has been the beneficiary of the laws • He was born, raised, and educated in the city • So it would be unjust to turn against its laws • It is more impious to bring violence against the city than to do so against one’s parents

10. The Choices • The laws of Athens allow a citizen to leave freely with is property • To stay is to make a tacit agreement to obey the laws of the city • The laws are not oppressive: it is open to Socrates to argue for better ones • Socrates above all has made a strong agreement with the city

11. Consequences • If Socrates escapes, bad things will happen • His friends will be in danger of many harms • He will be received as an enemy of law • If he finds an outlaw state, his life will not be worth living • His conviction will be vindicated • He will be disgraced • On the other hand, no harm will come to his children, as his friends will look after them

12. The Decision • Crito must agree with Socrates’s argument on behalf of the laws of Athens • He recognizes that facing death is the best choice • Socrates concludes that he is led to this decision by the god