Essay Sample on Crito's Failed Attempt: Money Over Friends Leads to Unjust Result

Crito has decided to visit Socrates to tell him of the anticipated arrival and try to persuade him to bribe his jailers, what most people think, and expect Crito's friend will do. Crito's friends are not real friends; they valued their money more than their friends. Socrates, in the end, did not accept the terms of Crito, he argued that doing that would be more of injustice than helping though he could help him if he were willing. Crito tried to explain in favor of his plans, but things were not working according to the set plans. Socrates rejected totally and perhaps befits him with the excitement of the moment.

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Crito even went further to intentionally decrease his expenditures so that he can minimize any financial losses he could have suffered in case Socrates would be unwilling to take any more significant sacrifice from the friend. He had that hope that there was a possibility of Socrates being reluctant and so he had put that into considerations while putting his plans into place. Unfortunately, Socrates denied both offers, the first and the second, but this was not a surprise to Crito though he claimed that this was an injustice for him.

It was going to give room for Crito's friends and enemies to thrive and glow over him together with his friends and his young ones whom he was going to abandon after his death. In Greek, it got believed that justice is helping your friends and causing harm to your enemies. Crito did not tend to harm his enemies but to block their way to their destination. Socrates advised that his young ones would better be taken care of after his death than if he decided to hide and go into exile. Ironically, Crito accepts to face death and seems not to listen to the more significant injustice claims which Crito lodges.

Unmoved by the claims of injustice as per the beliefs of the people, which got ground in his secret relationship with his family and friends, Socrates appealed to the standards of civil justice as a citizen to the Athenian people and the Athenian system of Law. He claimed that citizens should be given the advantages and other benefits that they are supposed to enjoy under the laws and policies governing the city. Slaves and the citizens, in this case, have just been required to do whatever they were asked to and attack them than to violate the parents. This would be retaliation, revenging the wrong with the wrong, and this can never be said to be justice.

Crito told Socrates that it is not fair to him and to his children for him to surrender to death. There are no valid reasons for Socrates to die; Crito has everything to save him, including money. He is ready to use any amount to make sure that Socrates does not die. There are even some people, not strangers, but no relationship with Socrates, but they are very ready to contribute in support of the situation. Socrates tells Crito that how he is arguing, he is past that, and if they are discussing in that direction, then he will not be able to change him. Such considerations that Crito wants him to consider, he says that he has already put that into account, and in present circumstances, it will just remain the same. Lengthy arguments would not change what he believes if the discussion was to continue getting based on such facts. If Crito was to change the decision Socrates had made, then it was up to him to switch on what he was using to convince.

Socrates is a wise person, and he knows the opinions to value and other views to let go. He advises Crito that one should take and value good opinions and no bad ones. The tasty opinions are from wise men, while the other ideas, wrong views, are from foolish men. In the case where a man professionally engages in physical training, he should pay attention to the praise and blames of any man or of that one man. The person should fear the accuses and welcome the compliments from one man and not those of the many. It is not possible to please and meet the desires of anyone you meet around, but what you consider good doing as per you.

There will always be people who will support you and those that are against you. Ensure to take the positive things from the optimistic people, though their number is few, and not to try to please the crowd since you cannot. If you decide to consider everything and everyone's decision that comes your way, then you will not do anything in this life. Even when you have done the best thing and expect that everyone will be comfortable with what you just did, still you will find people who are against that; thus it is better if you consider your own interests only when making decisions and take only positive reactions from the few people and ignore the rest.

The essential element in this life is not life itself but a good life. Is it so that we should never do any wrong of any kind willingly, or one must do harm in one way or another? It is never right or admirable to engage in any wrongdoing. It does not mean that one must never do wrong. It is undoubtedly impossible to avoid engaging in any wrong actions, nor should one, when wronged, return the false with another in turn. Though most people think that this is the right thing to do, it is not.

Plato's arguments are to the point. When Socrates does not want to live any longer but to surrender and die, Crito tells him that that is not possible, and it is abandoning everyone. He tells Socrates that, this would be very unfair mostly to his children since they will be left behind as orphans. They will suffer out of Socrates' will. It will also be a betrayal to Crito since Crito offers everything to help Socrates get out of that situation when Crito is engaged in an argument concerning whether doing wrong is terrible and how you should deal with the person that wronged you.

Crito argues against the common belief that it is not possible to stay without doing wrong, but wrong must not get returned with harm. When one has done you wrong, it is not a must that you return the wrong with another, if you nothing appropriate to say then it is better you maintain silence. He agrees with Socrates' argument that only take when you are seeking opinions, always go for the right ideas and leave the bad ones. Excellent views only come from wise people, while wrong beliefs come from foolish people; thus, it is not hard to differentiate, which is in difficult and confusing situations.

Another instance is when a man professionally engages in physical training; he should pay attention to the praise and blames of any man or of that one man. Crito argues that you should concentrate on the compliments from that one person and not the blames from the more significant number of people. This is pure truth since it is not possible to please everyone in this life; even your most loyal people at the time, you will have to differ. I always appreciate this fact.