While Socrates is in prison awaiting his execution, his friend Crito attempts to persuade him to escape. However, Socrates refuses, and he explains his reasoning as follows:
- Some opinions are to be respected, while others are not.
- It is better to obey the opinion of one (in this case, "reason") than the opinion of the many.
- The opinion of the many is that Socrates should escape for the sake of his family and friends.
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Reason, however, tells him:
- It is better to do good than to do evil.
- Injuring and doing evil are the same thing.
- When injured, do not injure in return, as that would be to do evil.
Since the state is injuring Socrates by condemning him to death, does that mean he should injure the state by breaking its laws? (Here, the law being broken would be escaping from prison.) Socrates answers “no,” because breaking the law would be doing evil. If a law is unjust, one should seek to persuade the state that the law is unjust, rather than harming the state by disobeying its laws.
Therefore, Socrates must die as the Athenian laws command, if he wishes to remain a good man rather than become an evil one, as reason demands.
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