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Socrates Ideas Revealed In Plato's Crito

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The setting of Plato’s dialogue is Socrates having been found guilty and imprisoned thirty days before his execution. His friend, Crito visits him and expresses the purpose of his visit to Socrates. Crito persuades him to escape from prison and go avoiding his sentence of death. The difficulty Plato faces in composing this dialogue is to justify Socrates' decision to stay in prison rather than try to escape after his wrongful condemnation. Plato lists a few ideas from Socrates’ education that a multitude can do neither good nor harm with actions being irrational and man regarding opinions of intelligible men. Plato states Socrates’ view why he should not escape the prison. Plato’s first idea he has in mind is a multitude of people can …show more content…

Socrates asks Crito, “The good opinions are those of wise men, the bad ones those of foolish men? [Crito]: Of course. [Socrates]: “Come then, what of statements such as this: Should a man professionally engaged in physical training pay attention to the praise and blame and opinion of any man, or to those of one man only, namely a doctor or trainer? [Crito]: To those of one only”. Plato’s idea suggest to regard opinions from men who have the most experience. As Socrates mentions, receive the opinion from those who know and have the most experience with it. If one person believes this opinion, but does not know too much, Plato and Socrates suggest to believe the wise man with intelligible experience. Socrates also points out: “And if he disobeys the one, disregards his opinion and his praises while valuing those of the many who have no knowledge, will he not suffer harm? [Crito]: Of course. [Socrates]: What is that harm, where does it tend, and what part of the man who disobeys does it affect? [Crito]: Obviously the harms is to his body, which it ruins”. Also, one should not rely on a multitude of opinions because of one’s experience and education with the

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