Socrates: A Man of Contradiction
Even the wisest of men tend to make bad decisions when they are backed into a corner,
with no place to turn. In the case of Socrates, however, his beliefs ran true until he was put to
death. When given the opportunity to escape his fate, Socrates chose to remain in jail and
receive the punishment handed down by the courts. Although Socrates truly believed in his own
innocence, to remain in jail was the only action he could take, in order to be just to himself, the
courts, and the gods.
According to Plato, if ever a just man lived, that man would be Socrates. Although he
claimed to not be a wise man, Socrates may have truly been the wisest of them all. Throughout
his life, Socrates followed …show more content…
Whether Socrates truly believed that death would be a far better experience that living
the remainder of his life in exile, or whether he did not know what to expect from the afterlife, he
truly seemed never to waiver in his devotion to the gods and in his belief that it is wrong to fear
death over doing what is just. He said it all when he stated in Crito, that if his death pleases the
gods, than it shall be.
In conclusion, not all of Socrates’ reasons for remaining in jail and not escaping his death
appear to be just. Although his belief that it was the will of the gods for him to die rather than
live a life of exile seems to be genuine, his claim that it is unjust to disobey the laws of the courts
and the city is not just in its reasoning. His constant contradictions throughout his life regarding
when one should and should not obey the laws, based on what is just and what is unjust,
invalidates this as a possible reason for facing his death. It appears that one must go back to his
conversation with Euthyphro, and explore the possibility that it may simply be impossible to
determine what is just and pious, and what is
Even the wisest of men tend to make bad decisions when they are backed into a corner,
with no place to turn. In the case of Socrates, however, his beliefs ran true until he was put to
death. When given the opportunity to escape his fate, Socrates chose to remain in jail and
receive the punishment handed down by the courts. Although Socrates truly believed in his own
innocence, to remain in jail was the only action he could take, in order to be just to himself, the
courts, and the gods.
According to Plato, if ever a just man lived, that man would be Socrates. Although he
claimed to not be a wise man, Socrates may have truly been the wisest of them all. Throughout
his life, Socrates followed …show more content…
Whether Socrates truly believed that death would be a far better experience that living
the remainder of his life in exile, or whether he did not know what to expect from the afterlife, he
truly seemed never to waiver in his devotion to the gods and in his belief that it is wrong to fear
death over doing what is just. He said it all when he stated in Crito, that if his death pleases the
gods, than it shall be.
In conclusion, not all of Socrates’ reasons for remaining in jail and not escaping his death
appear to be just. Although his belief that it was the will of the gods for him to die rather than
live a life of exile seems to be genuine, his claim that it is unjust to disobey the laws of the courts
and the city is not just in its reasoning. His constant contradictions throughout his life regarding
when one should and should not obey the laws, based on what is just and what is unjust,
invalidates this as a possible reason for facing his death. It appears that one must go back to his
conversation with Euthyphro, and explore the possibility that it may simply be impossible to
determine what is just and pious, and what is