Plato's Crito Critical Thinkings Examples

When Crito asks him to accept his aid and escape from a jail in Athens, Socrates refuses by providing counterarguments to Crito’s persuasions. First, the philosopher advises his friend against heeding to what society thinks and instead, asks him to worry about the people who matter. Secondly, Socrates asserts that were he to escape from jail, he will never be a free man because once dubbed a criminal in Athens, other governments will only view him as the enemy. Finally, when Crito brings up his children, Socrates points out that there is no upside as an escaped convict. If he takes his sons with him, he denies them their freedom, and if he leaves them behind, he denies them a father for he will never be able to return to Athens.
No good comes from defying the law, and Socrates appears to be aware of this fact. Thus, his reasons are convincing, especially so because he considers the position of those willing to aid him in his escape. For instance, if Crito and the other wealthy friends help him break out of jail, they stand to lose their possessions, a situation that Socrates is not willing to bring about. Socrates’ reasoning portrays the principle of morality because he cannot act without considering the implications his actions will have on his friends and family. On that note, the dialogue reveals the philosopher’s ability to analyze the outcomes of his actions based on his loved ones before thinking about himself. Thus, by going against the expected self-preservation, Socrates shows his moral principle. In addition, as he points out to Crito, Socrates manages to uphold the arguments he previously made in the dialogues even at the face of calamity (48). For this reason, Socrates stands by his word, sustains his loyalty to the Athenian government, and meets the expectations of his friends who already knew he would refuse.

Work Cited

Plato. Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. Ed. John M. Cooper. Trans. G. M. A. Grube. 2nd. Indiana: Hackett Publishing, 2002. Print.