Socrates Response To Plato's Crito

In Plato’s Crito, Socrates received a visit from his friend Crito, who was trying to convince him to escape, but failed to succeed. Crito explained to Socrates the reasons why he should want to live and Socrates responded with reasons why he should not escape. Crito was positive that it took more courage to live than to die, primarily because Socrates was wrongfully accused of being a physicalist and /or a sophist and now was destined to die. He was unjustly incriminated! He had all the rights to fight for justice, in his case escape death, and instead he cut- short and waited for the end of his life. If Socrates escaped a wrongful doing is that considered a legitimately wrong? Martin Luther King did the opposite of waiting, he had had enough …show more content…
He compares himself to the Apostle Paul; he states that he must “carry the gospel of freedom beyond his home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid” (MLK pg. 78). It was more than just going to help it was an obligation to fight for the community’s freedom. King explains how he was against all unjust laws and Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having non-violent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. (MLK pg.79). What good does it do, to become a citizen of a country where you will forever be criticized and contemplated unequal? Martin Luther King expressed the feeling of the African Americans including himself in the wait for freedom and justice. “As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise” (pg. …show more content…
“We will win freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands” (MLK pg. 87). Everyone is supposed to obey the law to keep the world in order but in some cases laws are unjust and corrupt that most people are forced to stand up for their beliefs and protest disobeying the law with or without violence. Martin Luther King broke many laws, as Socrates was accused of as well, but his civil disobedience was seen as justified, because they were the right thing to do. Martin Luther King is considered a hero who shaped the future from his unlawful actions. If Socrates would have escaped and proved to the people that his action were justified and he was not asking for anyone to follow, yet people choose to follow his way of life, it would have been