Philosophical Work: Crito - Essay Example

Plato's writings have been printed in numerous approaches; "this led to several conventions regarding the naming and referencing of Plato's texts." What motivated Plato to write Crito was the fact that Crito actually did take place and was a conversation between two people Socrates and Crito. When Socrates was about to put to death due to some false blames, these dialogues took place. In Crito, Socrates was given a chance to run away from prison and live a new life in a different place, but Socrates refused to avail this chance as he respected the law so much, that in his eyes whatever law had announced for him, was something which he deserved.

Plato wanted to show Socrates' honesty and true nature to everyone and therefore put these dialogues in the form of a work which made everyone read the truth about Socrates honor and dignity. Socrates being the main person in all the dialogues of Plato shows a better representation of this historical philosopher and therefore they are called as Socratic dialogues. Most of the dialogues consist of Socrates talking about a subject, often an ethical or moral one with a friend or with someone "presumed to be an expert on it.

" With the help of a sequence of questions Socrates would demonstrate that actually they don't comprehend it at all. This can regard these dialogues as "indirect teachings." The dialogues written during this period were called as early dialogues and included several pieces covering up the trial and death sentence of Socrates. These works are Apology, Crito, Chamides, Laches, Lysis, Euthyphro, Menexenus, Lesser Hippias, and Ion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato) Crito is a famous dialogue between Socrates and his follower Crito concerning the foundation and personality of political requirement.

This dialogue took place after Plato's apology, in which Socrates was verdict to death as a punishment of distorting the young and for immorality. In this dialogue Crito tries to persuade Socrates to break away from his captivity and go into exile.It was right before daybreak, in the gloomy prison cell where Socrates was kept before his death sentence. Crito is a rich friend of Socrates who has come to talk to him but Socrates was sleeping upon Crito's arrival. Crito then waits near his friend to wake up and when he does wake up, Socrates asks Crito about why he has come.

Upon this question, Crito tells Socrates of being in deep grief and sleeplessness with the fact that his friend Socrates will die soon. One thing to be noted here is the strangeness that the person who is going to die soon is sleeping peacefully while his friend has lost his sleep and is suffering the pain of losing a friend. This situation is revealing an important relationship between the two of them and further knowing that Crito's motive for coming to his friend is to help him escape, gives more strength to the relation.

Crito believed that unjust judgments have taken place in giving punishment to his friend and therefore wants Socrates to run away. But as the talk among the two goes on, it happens that Crito feels disagreement with his own argument and is convinced by what Socrates told him. Denying the idea of his escape, Socrates thinks of himself as a "moral authority, an expert on matters of