Socrates and the Socratic Ethic essays

Socrates and the Socratic Ethic essays Socrates is considered the top philosopher of all time. He has influenced more people in history than anyone other than Jesus. Socrates worked hard throughout his life to try to make people think deeper beyond the everyday thought, to look inside and really ponder on different subjects, none more so than that of moral ethics. Socrates wanted to define what was morally right from wrong. This is what derived the Socratic ethic. It was what Socrates considered to be the way a person should live their life. The thing that set Socrates apart from others, though, was that he stuck to this Socratic ethic so relentlessly that is finally led to his death. At a time when many people would have thrown it out the window to save their life, he was bound to it. Socrates wanted to leave an everlasting mark on mankind, one that has not been forgotten even to this day. Socrates was jailed for reasons he could not get an answer for. He was sentenced to death just because he had bothered and annoyed people too much. There were many that were enlightened by his speeches, but he angered much of the state. I do not totally agree with Socrates decision not to escape in the Crito. He developed this Socratic ethic and proudly stood beside it by fulfilling his duty. He also believed that the quality of life was more important than the quantity (even though he was 70), so if he had lived a high quality life dying would not matter. If I had so strongly believed in something, I would have escaped and fought for what I believed in. Dying for something, and fighting for it so other people do not die in the same way would be my way of fulfilling my duty. Socrates in the Crito is in fact just surrendering to the state by accepting an obviously false indictment plus a much too severe punishment for it. They would have had to run me down and execute me be fore I would hand my life over to any state as long as I was fighting justly for my cause. ...