When a criminal or an accused is conscious of the fact that he will not be given a pardon or be found not guilty at the end of his trial, his thoughts most often turn towards escaping from the prison that could become his home for life or the harbinger of his death. In the discussions Crito had with Socrates, we can clearly see that Socrates was not going to be set free from the shackles that bound him and yet he chose to remain in prison and face death rather than escape even though an opportunity presented itself. Crito, a fellow prisoner who had found an opportunity to escape was trying to convince the latter to join him in his quest for forced freedom. In the end though, Socrates ended up presenting convincing scenarios to Crito which proved that his decision to not escape would be the more logical and informed course of action. This decision of his was a puzzlement to Crito who had to listen to his reasons for not escaping but rather, facing whatever consequences of his action existed. Socrates was right to remain in prison instead of escaping because of a number of reasons, 5 of which I will discuss within this paper.
To begin with Socrates, being the philosopher that he was, knew that escape is nothing but a panic mechanisim that could make an already bad situation worse. Rather than panicking and trying to escape, he chose to rationalize and think about the actions and courses of events that led to his current situation. Being a man who believed and supported all that the government of Athens stood for, he was not going to be the one to falter from his beliefs and faith in the state and its citizens (in terms of justice and fairness) just because things did not turn out in his favor. Rather, he would show his support and agreement with their decision by staying in jail and awaiting his fate.
Another reason that Socrates presented quite clearly to Crito was the fact that a fugitive from the law is a selfish person, for he did not consider the effects of his actions on the people around him. His family, friends, acquaintances – all these people will be placed in jeopardy all because he did not choose to follow the law of the land. They too would become fugitives and be hounded by the law because these are the very people whom the fugitive would turn to and beg for help. Help that he will most likely receive because of the affinity they feel for him. However, by taking such actions, they too would have contributed to a problem that could cause the shaking of the very foundation of Athenian society. They themselves would have indirectly or directly broken the law by being his harbingers. If he were to take his family on the run with him, he would then be depriving his children and future heirs of their birthright to be called a citizen of Athens and enjoy all the benefits that it entailed. Those who are fugitives of the law cannot enjoy and benefits or rewards from any country that they escape to. In essence, they will all merely exist but not live, and that is no sort of life for anyone.
As with any discussion regarding justice and freedom, the religious aspect also came into view. Socrates’s reasoning supports the belief that man is judged twice in his life. Once by his fellowmen, perhaps for crimes committed against others, for which a corresponding punishment is meted out, and then again upon our deaths. During this time of judgment, our souls and actions while living are well scrutinized by the ultimate being and then judged as being worthy of Heaven or Hell. If one wished to go to heaven, according to Socrates, he would hedge his bets while living and do what his conscience dictates to be the right thing to do. After all, there is a belief that our conscience will never steer us wrong when it comes to making the right choices in life.
By deciding not to escape, Socrates proved another reason for his decision. He loved his country/city, regardless of how the citizens treated him. For Athens was where he was raised in consciousness and bred to believe in all that is righteous about it. As such, if he had offended or erred in his existence, then he had wronged his citizens and therefore must face the consequences. It is Socrates’s strong belief that laws exist for a purpose. The purpose of keeping peace and order is so that everyone can exist in harmony. Anybody who tries to counter the laws of the land is an insurgent who must be removed from society at large. If he was being viewed as one who would cause chaos in his city, then he was willing to die if only to help bring back the balance of law and order to the land.
Lastly, Crito believed that when he was born and declared a citizen of Athens, he had entered into a binding contract. A contract that dictated that he would not do anything to overturn the government or take any course of action that might lead to unrest among the citizens. For this is the city that allowed him to flourish in terms of schools of thought and life. The citizens of the land educated and shaped his beliefs nurtured him to success and allowed him to become that which he wished to become. All in exchange for his being a law-abiding citizen and nothing more. By recognizing that, he has proven his loyalty and willingness to hold up his end of the contract that he entered into on the day he became a citizen of Athens. By convincing Crito to remain in jail instead of escaping, he further upholds his belief in the laws of the land and the fact that any man, whether guilty or not, must stand trial and await his final judgment for it is only by accepting this judgment that he may be able to continue his life in the proper manner.
By choosing to remain in jail, Socrates had proven that he had infinite trust in his relationship with the citizens of Athens. He believed that they would come to a fair and honest decision regarding his legal matter. Whatever decision it was, he would accept it wholeheartedly because the citizens would not make rash and sudden decisions. Just like other justice-giving bodies of the time, theirs would be a judgment steeped in discussions of philosophy and logic.
By accepting his fate and choosing to die as a show of support for the state, Socrates will have proven to the citizens and authorities of the city that he is not their enemy but rather a pawn in a game called justice. He had proven that even though the laws of the land are flawed, it is, for all intents and purposes perfect in the sense that it will keep order and lawfulness within Athens. His death would be viewed as the act of an exemplary citizen and be accorded the proper respect by those in society who understood his philosophies. In death, he will have proven to be the bigger person and ultimate supporter of Athenian laws.
So was his decision to not join Crito in escaping the right decision for Socrates to have made? Yes. For in the mind of great philosophers and thinkers, there can be no other greater crime than to take a course of action that would adversely affect the majority of the people around them and convey the wrong message to their followers and believers. He also proved, by accepting the death penalty, that he was one of the greatest citizens to have ever lived in Athens.