Between Socrates and the Many by J. Michael Hoffpauir

Author:J. Michael Hoffpauir
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: undefined
Published: 2012-03-12T16:00:00+00:00

No Matter What We May Suffer

Socrates continues: “Since this is how the argument holds, nothing else is to be considered by us except what we were saying just now: whether we will do just things by paying money and gratitude (charitas) to those who will lead me out of here, or whether in truth we will do injustice by doing all these things—those of us who are leading out as well as those of us who are being led out” (Crito 48c7-d3). If Crito’s demand is unjust, then he must not weigh anything else against the doing of injustice. The crux of the matter is whether it would be just for Socrates to escape, and insofar as escape would require paying money and gratitude to those who will aid in escape, the argument will also determine the justice of Crito’s role in the escape.

This does not mean that Crito’s paying money and gratitude is categorically unjust any more than going from one place to another is categorically unjust. One might “go out” of the harp teacher’s house to the shoemaker’s shop just as one might pay money and gratitude to one’s harp teacher or shoemaker. Indeed, the goodness or justice of paying money and gratitude for a benefit received is assumed here, and it is something Crito already demonstrated he believes ought to be done (Crito 43a9-10). Therefore, the question is not the justice of paying money and gratitude for a perceived good, but whether going out against the Athenians’ wishes is good, that is, is just.[6] The question is whether escape is of a piece with living well. If escape is just, then Socrates ought to take this action and Crito ought to pay money and gratitude to those who will help, for it is just for them to receive money and gratitude for a just act. If escape is unjust, then Socrates ought not to take this action and Crito ought not to pay money and gratitude to those who will help, for it is unjust for them to receive money and gratitude for an unjust act.

But if, unlike Socrates, one does suppose the justice of law-abidingness, then escape already appears unjust. Nonetheless, Socrates does not assume this or state the matter as bluntly as Crito does when he speaks of stealing away Socrates from jail (Crito 44e4-5). Socrates describes the matter as “go out of here although the Athenians are not permitting me to go” and “lead me out of here” (Crito 48b12-c1, 48d1-3). Crito uses the language of stealing without reflection on its justice while Socrates uses neutral language in his insistence that they evaluate the justice of escape.

The assumptions here are that not living, but living well, is to be regarded as most important, living well is the same as living nobly and justly, and nothing ought to be considered but justice. “And if it is apparent that these deeds of ours are unjust, we must take nothing into account compared to the doing of

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