(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Socrates and the Right to Die

            Socrates faced a life ending death penalty, and although he had a well-prepared opportunity to escape and save himself, he chose to die. From his point of view, a mature citizen must keep a contract with the state where he lives. This contract contains duties for both sides. The state has to take care for his citizen whereas the citizen has not only to obey and protect the rules that the state determines but also acknowledge them – which in the situation of a death penalty means to accept this ruling without reservation no matter if it is right or wrong.
             Socrates argues it is better to suffer an unlawful act than to commit a wrong. Would he escape wouldn't he be any better than those who condemned him to death even if this judgment has been wrong. With an escape he would lose his credibility and could not speak about virtue again. His family and friends would be negatively affected. Beyond that he would justify the death penalty trough wrongful behavior and legalize it retrospectively. In other words: One cannot fight one wrong with another. Doing this would create a vicious circle of human suffering which never ends.
             The virulent question now is if one should break the law because of a wrongful judgment – considering that the law is made by humans and humans can err? Or should we carry our ideals to the last extremes?.
             Not only is Socrates' decision a brave one, it is also one which seems to be made without any personal involvement, as if Socrates himself would not be affected by it. His pure ratio has lead his argumentation, following in the final analysis the antique understanding of the almighty authority of law. The law is the objective leader which dictates one's behavior. Not decisive is his personal relation to the men who found the ruling; their reasoning becomes objective law as soon as it has the format of a judgment; for the better or the worse this ruling has to be obeyed.


Essays Related to Socrates and the Right to Die

1. Law and Justice

... , what is the right or just thing to do when confronted with certain facts. That is applied justice. These preliminary thoughts are not about applied justice, but the themes which are included in the concept of justice. Three ancient thinkers helped articulate concepts of justice that form the basis for much of western thought and catholic social teaching. These are Socrates (470BC-399BC), Plato (427BC-348BC) and Aristotle (384BC ... he was really wiser than them all, because he at least knew he knew nothing and they were ignorant even of their ignorance." Socrates was ultimately tried a...

  • Word Count: 421
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. King Vs. Socrates

... how closely related Socrates and King's argument are about "the willingness of accepting the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice," as quoted by King. Is not the above quote what was the whole basis of Socrates argument in Plato's Crito? Of course it was, the whole reason King couldn't decide to escape from jail is because, "I would rather die having spoken ... after my manner than speak in your manner and live." Socrates explains that "it is not possible that a bad man should injure someone better than himself." While King says somethin...

  • Word Count: 313
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Socrates in the Crito

... doing what they choose without regard to what is right, you will then have chaos and a breakdown of the laws and society. The laws are able to convince Socrates, or affirm Socrates own point of view, that deciding not to escape is the better choice. To escape would be unjust because it involves the injury of the people with whom he had the agreement with in regard to his punishment. Socrates chose to die instead of escape because after ... his discussion with Crito and his review of what the ... ...

  • Word Count: 2592
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Choice of an Ancient Wise

... life, it is how moral your soul is that will matter when you die. Socrates, much like Achilles, believes in certain moral aspects that he was willing to die for. This willingness to die for a cause is one of the main binding attributes that Achilles and Socrates share. Achilles" is willing to die to avenge the death of his closest friend Patroclus, nothing other than that spurs him into battle. Even after his ... an icon in Western culture and wishes the world to hear his opinion. The lifestyle of Socrates and Achilles may seem a world apart, but the ideals behind the actions shine thro...

  • Word Count: 1319
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Aristotle and virtue

... through someone who is truly virtuous, because virtue is lasting and consistent. So in order to see if they have a true friendship, I looked at the main facts of virtuous actions by Aristotle. Crito wishes for Socrates good sake, because he doesn't want him to die, understandable, but not all for the right reasons. Crito does not exist for Socrates sake, and I do not know if they spent plenty of time ... together all the time. On the other hand they did share times together, probably of enjoyment and of distress at times, such as the case of trying to make him escape and the trials, and ...

  • Word Count: 2150
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Socrates and the Immortality of the Soul

... away from the physical realm and join the gods in Hades. In death, Socrates was very confident that he had achieved this and in turn, was going to join the gods when he drank the poison that ended his life. If a person has lived a life delving in the physical pleasures, he will be bonded to them in death as well. Socrates says that when these people die their souls inhabit the graveyards until ... believe in the immortality of the soul, I do not agree with his conclusions on why we should believe this to be so. Socrates dwells so much on the acquiring of knowledge that he neglects to fa...

  • Word Count: 1300
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Socrates

... front of many people in the marketplace. So these men decided to indict Socrates of corrupting the minds of the youth, for mocking the gods, and for teaching falsehoods. The goal Socrates enemies was to make him grovel and ask for mercy so that he would look like a fool to all of Athens, but instead Socrates did the opposite professing that he was in the right, and preaching ignorance to the hundreds of jury members, and when they asked him ... of life was not physical, but in contrast the most important part of health was the psyche. So he in turn stated that he would rather die, than ...

  • Word Count: 1176
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Socrates

... . Socrates originated the phrase, "know thyself," and suggested that examining your own motivations and psyche was the only way to gain virtue (Benson 7). The most efficient path to "living well" is to have a well-rounded moral psyche that controls our thoughts, which is ultimately in control of the physical self. Happiness then is determined by the perception of acting rightly. This was all determined so he could find the path that forced the right ... Laertius offered Socrates a beautiful garment to wear for his death. Socrates replied, "What, is my own good enough to live in but not t...

  • Word Count: 8371
  • Approx Pages: 33
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Socrates Was Not Afraid To Die

... of opposing me even about trifles." (Kolak 16) Socrates believed that this oracle showed him the right and wrong decisions to make before making them, and he did not receive any warning about attending his trial or proceeding as he did: But the oracle made no sign of opposition, either as I was leaving my house and going out in the morning, or when I was going up into this court ... as a proof that what has happened to me is a good, and that those of us who think that death is an evil are in error But I see clearly that to die and be released was better for me; and therefore the oracle ...

  • Word Count: 1961
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography

10. Socrates

... he would serve his country best by learning philosophy and teaching what he learned to the people. He taught the Athenians to examine themselves, especially their souls. Socrates taught the concepts of justice, love, virtue, and self-knowledge. He believed that no person is willingly bad; therefore, those who know what's right will act rightly. On the last day of his life, Socrates made a powerful statement when he claimed that philosophy ... 399 BC with neglecting the gods of the state and introducing new divinities. He was also charged with corrupting the morals of the young. Plato's ...

  • Word Count: 772
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question