Socrates' Respect for the Justice System

This past week, we read a document titled The Last Days of Socrates (Crito) that described a conversation between Socrates and Crito in prison the day before Socrates was to be killed.  In his conversation, Crito begs Socrates to escape prison and to continue teaching Athenians despite his conviction for corrupting the youth. However, Socrates refuses and is too stubborn to leave with Crito.

Socrates’ decision to remain in jail is primarily based on his respect for law and the judicial system in Athens.  He believes that he should not undermine the justice system by despite his disagreement with his sentence. Crito believes that Socrates is wrongfully convicted and would better serve society as a teacher rather than as a martyr on behalf of the judicial system. He explains that it is only fair that Socrates should have the right to escape.

I believe that both of these arguments are extremely logical and the conflict is not easy to solve.  So, I pose the question, if one disagrees with a judicial judgment, is it right for him/her to ignore the judgment (and to escape as in the case of Socrates), or is it better as a believer in an accountable government to demonstrate respect for the justice system? In other words, do the ends of helping society (by teaching) and escaping punishment like Socrates could have done justify the means of undermining the justice system and in turn challenging its legitimacy?  

I cannot deny the fact that Socrates deserved to escape, raise his children, continue teaching, and question the ideas of powerful men in Athens who did not support his thinking.  It makes perfect sense for Crito, a close friend of Socrates, to beg him to escape prison because his conviction is unfair and cruel.  However, I believe that Socrates, a man whose priority is to approve Athenian society, makes the right choice by remaining in prison.

I feel strongly about this point because in the long run, it seems most honorable and beneficial to society to comply with how the Athenian justice system had decided Socrates’ fate.  By publically undermining the decision to convict him, he would have shown that any imprisoned individual who felt he/she was innocent, deserved the right to escape. This sounds like quite the un-Socrates-ish thing to do.  If Socrates had the best interests of Athens in mind, he certainly would not jeopardize its justice system.

In a broader perspective, if a respected role model and teacher in society were to spread the belief that the justice system did not need to be strictly followed, this could lead to major chaos within society.  Crime rates could shoot up and faith in the justice system would drop. If people no longer believed that the justice system served and protected the citizens of a society properly, it is likely that not many would abide by its rules. 

It may be righteous and selfless to remain in prison to improve trust and faith in the justice system, but it is easier said than done. If one were to be wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, I believe that it would be very likely that he/she would escape prison given the opportunity.  It is not a selfish decision for an individual to believe that he/she deserves to be free if he/she is innocent.  It is not inhumane for one to put his/her own health before that of the justice system.

This goes to show how unique of a man Socrates was.  Throughout his life, he worked and taught with the intention of improving life in Athens. Until the day he was killed, he was dedicated to strengthening organization and morality in Athenian life.