Socrates Moral Decision To Not Escape Essay - 781 Words

Socrates Moral Decision To Not Escape nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Was Socrates wise to stay in Athens to die? Examine firstly the context of the word wise , Socrates wasnt wise in the sense of preserving his own life as he stayed to die. He was encouraged and given the chance to escape by his friend Crito, but Socrates did not want to escape . Why? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Socrates was a wise man. He believed in absolutes, and pursued the knowledge of mans source of goodness and virtue. He believed that the repayment of evil with evil was wrong. In short, Socrates was a very moral person. He stayed in Athens because he said that he had lived by the laws of the country for all his life. He had enjoyed the privileges of a†¦show more content†¦His followers have carried on his messages and lessons into later times. Would Socrates teachings really have been carried on at all if he hadnt followed through? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The impact of his teachings would have been greatly lessened had he escaped. All the lessons of quot;virtuequot; and quot;couragequot; would have been taught by a hypocritical man. Socrates was brave enough to face that sentence without fear or cowardice; and he is remembered as one who died for what they believed in. It could be safe to call Socrates a martyr: He laid down his life for what he considered to be right, selflessly. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Socrates was morally obligated to stay in Athens to die. The choice was not the selfish one, but the honorable one. He didnt have to stay, as Crito would have arranged escape, but he declined. Socrates believed firmly in quot;practicing what you preachquot; as demonstrated by his decision. This shows the moral fiber of which he is made. He explains people should set the highest value quot;not on living, but living well.quot; This means abiding by a set of values and morals which will lead to a virtuous, honest and quot;goodquot; life. This also involves following the laws of the state, and to break the law would be repaying evil with evil. This notion is absolutely unacceptable to Socrates. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Socrates was morally obligated byShow MoreRelatedEssay on Socrates1116 Words   |  5 PagesPlato recounts the last days of Socrates, immediately before his execution was to take place in Athens. In the dialogue, Socrates’ pupil, Crito, proposes that Socrates escape from prison. Socrates considers this proposal, trying to decide whether escaping would be â€Å"just† and â€Å"morally justified.† Eventually, Socrates concludes that the act is considered â€Å"unjust† and â€Å"morally unjustified.† Socrates then decides to accept his fate and proceeded with his execution. 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