Socrates: An Analysis Of Injustice In Plato's Crito

In Plato’s Crito Socrates is in his prison cell waiting for his execution. Crito, an elderly Athenian who for many years has been a devoted friend of Socrates and a firm believer in his ethical teachings is trying to get Socrates to escape jail; Plato shows us this in the form of a dialogue. However, Socrates wants no part in escaping and accepts his execution, even with Crito continuing to present as many different ways possible for him to escape, this dialogue shows something about Socrates character by describing difficult times without him being overcome by what he was facing. Socrates shows the same emotion of calmness about important matters that had shaped his life in freedom, he had slept peacefully throughout the night and wondered why Crito was there so early, Crito wants to know how he was able to sleep so peacefully and remain calm. Even the …show more content…
He knows if he refuses to escape prison that he will have a good defense when he stands before the dead who will see him as a victim of injustice not from the law but injustice from those who abused the law. Crito and Socrates flow of the arguments goes Living Well Argument- to do an unjust action ruin one's soul, Life is not worth living with a ruined soul, and hence the most important thing is not life but living a moral and just life. Consequences for Athens Argument- if I escape from jail, then the laws of Athens and thus the city of Athens will be destroyed. To destroy the laws of Athens and the city of Athens harms the citizens of Athens. To harm others is to harm my soul because to harm others is unjust, and doing unjust actions harms my soul. It is better to die than to live with a ruined