In the Apology Socrates is accused of being an atheist and corrupting the youth by Meletus, and other people who Socrates “tested their wisdom”. They are strongly offended by Socrates’ words, and decided to bring Socrates to this trial to get him punished. Socrates has defended himself, and he is not guilty of any accuses. However, the jurors, on behalf of the whole citizen body of Athens, decide that Socrates is guilty, and the punishment is a death penalty rather than an exile. Behind this death penalty, Socrates seems to prefer this than an exile, because he does not want to live in a society that he cannot do what he wants to do. Then, in the Crito, Socrates refuses to be rescued by Crito and Socrates’ friends. Crito tried to convince Socrates
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I think Socrates wants the death penalty with the main reason being that an imprisonment or an exile will put him into a position that he cannot continue his mission, as he says, “if I say that it is the greatest food for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less” (Apology, 38a). I also think that there is another reason, receiving death penalty will create a curiosity for next generation to discuss about his death. The most important evidence about this argument is the fact that we are arguing about his death penalty. If Socrates were to choose an exile, the story would have been totally different. It is also interesting to look back at the Allegory of the Cave by Plato about the killing of the “enlightened” man. Socrates thinks that the people who control the prisoners in the cave would kill the “enlightened” man because it would stop the whole idea, however, it certainly will not. Nothing can stop the truth, and killing the man would make other people more curious about what he has done. Comparing to Socrates receiving death penalty, I think these two stories share a similar concept of how to provoke people passive-aggressively to be more curious
I think Socrates wants the death penalty with the main reason being that an imprisonment or an exile will put him into a position that he cannot continue his mission, as he says, “if I say that it is the greatest food for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less” (Apology, 38a). I also think that there is another reason, receiving death penalty will create a curiosity for next generation to discuss about his death. The most important evidence about this argument is the fact that we are arguing about his death penalty. If Socrates were to choose an exile, the story would have been totally different. It is also interesting to look back at the Allegory of the Cave by Plato about the killing of the “enlightened” man. Socrates thinks that the people who control the prisoners in the cave would kill the “enlightened” man because it would stop the whole idea, however, it certainly will not. Nothing can stop the truth, and killing the man would make other people more curious about what he has done. Comparing to Socrates receiving death penalty, I think these two stories share a similar concept of how to provoke people passive-aggressively to be more curious