The Duality Of Virtue In Apology By Socrates

In Apology, Socrates disobeys the jury because he has never done the thing they charge against him. Socrates states that he lives an “examined life”, which means the life that “converses about virtue” (p. 14). He spends everything on philosophy and this is the examined life to him. As a dedicator of virtue, he claims himself to be ignorant instead of being arrogant (p. 4). He justifies himself in Apology for his rights and proves his innocence to Meletus’ charges of him for being “a doer of evil, who corrupt the youth” (p. 5).

In Crito, Socrates believes that obey the jury is obeying “the will of Athenians” (p.7). Although Crito and his friends insist on convincing Socrates to leave the prison, Socrates chooses to listen to the law. The jury sentences his guilt and death, so he must comply with them. If he leaves the prison without the jury’s permission, people will treat him as a man who is disloyal to his country wherever he go. Like what the voice in his head, “the laws in the world below, will receive you as an enemy” (p.11).

Those two compositions are not inconsistent for the following reasons.

First, Socrates claims that a person should not do evil and injure others in any reasons. Disobeying the jury is a way of injuring the country (Crito, p. 7). Although he declines the charge, he believes “no evil can happen to a good man” (Apology, p. 14). This is his fate as a “good man” decided by his country, so he must obey the jury. Second, Socrates will admit the charge of corrupting the youth which he disobeys by escaping from prison. He will be “neither happier nor holier” (Crito, p. 10), so he chooses to obey the

jury.