Virtue?Justice?
Interesting Defend!
100

Did Socrates guard justice through his dialog? Or was his behavior justice? (Crito)

Yes, he did guard justice. Because he didn’t escape or break the agreement to seek for a longer life even though his friend Crito persuaded him.

Citation:

“If you return the injustice, however, and repay the harm and flee in shame, having violated your agreement and contract with us and harmed those who least of all should be harmed, yourself, your friends, your homeland, and us, we will make life hard for you while you're alive, and then our brothers, the laws in Hades, will not receive you favorably, knowing that you also tried to destroy us as far as you were able. So, do not be persuaded by Crito to do what he says instead of what we say.” (P10, 54c)

“Then let it be, Crito, and let us act in this way, since this is where the god leads us.” (P10, 54e)

100

What were two kinds of accusers Socrates meet when he defends for himself? (Apology)

One group was his ancient accusers, and another group was his contemporary accusers.


Citation:

“So you too must deem it to be as I say: that there have been two groups of accusers, the ones accusing me now, and the others long ago of whom I speak: and you must also suppose that I should first speak in defense against the latter, for you heard them accusing me earlier and much more than these later ones here.” (P2, 18e)

200

Did Socrates die with virtue? (Apology)

Yes, he did. Because although he was sentenced to death, he didn’t corrupt the youth, he helped the youth indeed.

Citation:

“I Much prefer to die having made my defense speech in this way than to live in that way. For neither in a court case nor in war should I or anyone else devise a way to escape death by doing anything at all.” (P20, 39a)

200

What is an example of Socrates using a metaphor to defend for himself that he didn’t corrupt the youth? (Apology)

He compared himself to the Gadfly to interpret that he didn’t corrupt the youth, he helped them indeed.


Citation:

“For if you kill me, you will not easily discover another of my sort, who—even if it
is rather ridiculous to say—has simply been set upon the city by the god, as though upon a great and well-born horse who is rather sluggish because of his great size and needs to be awakened by some gadfly.” (P14, 31a)

300

In Socrates’ opinion, was it moral to escape? (Crito)

No, it was a behavior of immorality. Because he stated that he shouldn’t use injustice way to solve injustice sufferings. And it was immoral to break an agreement with others.

Citation:

“when someone has made an agreement with someone else, and it is just, must he keep to it or betray it?” (P6, 49e)

“And so, one should not repay an injustice with an injustice, as the many think, since one should never act unjustly.” (P6, 49c)

“Observe what follows from this. By leaving here without persuading the city are we doing someone a harm, and those whom we should least of all harm, or not? And are we keeping to the just agreements we made, or not?” (P6, 50a)

300

How did Socrates defend for himself at the very beginning after he asked the men of Athens don’t make disturbance? (Apology)

He introduced his friend Chaerephon’s story: Chaerephon went to ask Delphi if anyone is wiser than Socrates, and Delphi said no. 

Citation:

“And in particular he once even went to Delphi and dared to consult the oracle about this—now as I say, do not make disturbances, men—and he asked whether there was
anyone wiser than I. The Delphi replied that no one was wiser.” (P4, 21a)

400

Why did Socrates believe that virtue is obeying laws even though it will destroy his interests? (Crito)

Because he thought that citizens have benefited from the laws, and they had the obligation to obey the laws even though it would against their interests.

Citation:

“What about the laws concerning the upbringing and education of children, by which you too were raised? Or didn't those of us, the laws established on this matter, give good instructions when they directed your father to educate you in the arts and gymnastics?" "They did," I would say.” (P7, 50e)

“Will you be allowed to do this to your homeland and the laws, so that, if we try to destroy you, thinking this to be just, you will then try to destroy us the laws and your homeland in return with as much power as you have and claim that you're acting justly in doing so, the man who truly cares about virtue?” (P7, 51a)

400

How did Socrates defend for his choice: not escaping? (Crito)

He stated that they shouldn’t pay much attention on others’ emotional saying, they should be more rational.

Citation:

“So, best of men, we must not pay much heed to what the many will say to us, but to what the one who knows about just and unjust things will say, to that one person, and to the truth itself. So, you were wrong, at the beginning, to bring this up, that we must heed the opinion of the many concerning just things and noble things and good things and their opposites. "But in spite of that," someone might declare, "the many can put us to death."” (P5, 48b)

500

How did Socrates explain accusers’ injustice behaviors? (Apology)

He demonstrated that escape villainy is harder than escape death. He went death but the accusers have been convicted by injustice.

Citation:

“And there are many other devices to escape death in each of the dangers, if one dares to do and say anything at all. But I suspect it is not hard, men, to escape death, but it is much harder to escape villainy. For it runs faster than death. And now since I am slow and old, I am caught by the slower, while my accusers, since they are clever and sharp, are caught by the faster, by evil. And now I go away, condemned by you to pay the penalty of death, while they have been convicted by the truth of wretchedness and injustice.” (P21, 39b)

500

What kind of argument did Socrates raised to defend for himself that no escaping is virtue? (Crito)

It is immoral to do unjust things no matter what unjust things he had suffered. Also, it is immoral to destroy an agreement which has been decided before.

Citation:

“One must neither repay an injustice nor cause harm to any man, no matter what one suffers because of him.” (P6, 49d)

“when someone has made an agreement with someone else, and it is just, must he keep to it or betray it?” (P6, 49e)