Socrates Chooses Death

Socrates was charged and found guilty of the crimes of corrupting the young by making the weaker argument seem the stronger, of not acknowledging the gods and of teaching these fallacies to others. ‘The Apology,’ written by Plato, is a depiction of Socrates speech in his defense to these charges. After addressing the allegations and accusations against them, he attempts to defend himself by bringing forth arguments against these charges and in doing so, he relates to the jurors that if found guilty and ordered into exile, he would most certainly choose death instead.

Throughout the speech, Socrates doesn’t seem overly concerned with the prospect of death, submitting that “nothing bad can happen to a good man, whether in life or death.” (Reeve, p. 73) He believes that there are things that are more important than death, such as remaining resolute in the face danger, maintaining a virtuous state and the act of philosophizing. When standing up for what a man “thinks his best,” (Reeve, p. 65) he should remain steadfast, even when threatened with extreme danger, “taking no account at all of death or of anything else, in comparison to what is shameful.” (Reeve, p. 65)

Socrates believes that virtue is paramount, the best thing a man can do is to define what is good in order to live a virtuous life and that if this activity is restricted, life has no value, stating succinctly, “I couldn’t care less about death – if that isn’t putting it to bluntly – but that all I care about is not doing something unjust or impious.” (Reeve, p. 68) It would be unworthy and shameful for him to weep and wail and Socrates would rather die than to stain his virtue by telling the jury what they want to hear simply to escape their judgement and punishment. It is the ‘greatest good’ for a man to discuss virtue every day, and if man’s ‘greatest good’ is taken away, then life simply isn’t worth living.

Socrates believes that he has “been ordered by the god, in both oracles and dreams” (Reeve, p. 68) to examine those who think they are wise. Socrates would rather die than to stop questioning people as evidenced by his pronouncements that “I’ll obey the god rather than you, and as long as I draw breath and am able, I won’t give up practicing philosophy” (Reeve, p. 66) and “fear of death wouldn’t lead me to submit to a single person contrary to what’s just.” (Reeve, p. 67)

Socrates position is that “the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.” (Reeve, pg. 71) The option of “keeping quiet and minding his own business” (p. 71) is simply impossible for him as “to do that would be to disobey god.” (Reeve, pg. 71) Ironically, with the disbelief of a divine god or gods being one of the charges leveled against him, by being concerned throughout the trial with the ramifications of disobeying God he is actually demonstrating his belief in God!

Socrates proposes that an excessive love of life with a corresponding fear of death is irrational because it is an example of “thinking one knows what one doesn’t know.” (Reeve, p. 65) This profound concept is best symbolized by one of my favorite Socratic quotations; “no one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all goods for people, but they fear it as if they knew for certain that it’s the worst thing of all.” (Reeve, p. 65) He believes that death may actually be good and that those “who suppose death be bad make an incorrect assumption.” (Reeve, p. 72)

He submits that death must be one of two things, either ‘nothing’ or eternal happiness. Interestingly he doesn’t mention any possibility of the eternal agony and infinite pain of hell. He explains that ‘nothing’ is a total lack of awareness, comparable to single night’s deep sleep, a pleasant prospect in itself.  Eternal happiness is the journey of the soul to another place where Socrates may converse with his dead heroes while relishing in continuing his philosophical examinations forever, so “if what we’re told is true” (Reeve, p. 73), in death people are happier anyway and “to die now and escape my troubles was a better thing for me.” (Reeve, p. 73)

In summary, Socrates would rather die than to stop philosophizing and searching for meaning. Ironically, his advanced age doesn’t seem to hurt with his choice of forced suicide as he admits that he is “already far along in life and close to death.” (Reeve, p.71)