Socrates's Views of Death in the Apology and the Crito

Socrates's views of death in the Apology and the Crito are irrevocably tied to his definition of life and the way people must live their lives. For Socrates, life must be examined through constant questioning, and people must privilege goodness above all else. Consequently, even in the face of injustice, people must retaliate with justness because an injustice in the first case does not become just when offered in retaliation. No act, therefore, must be performed upon fear of death solely to preserve life because the preservation of life is not the primary concern.

Socrates did not stay out of politics because he was afraid that it would lead to his death. He freely admits in The Apology that he does not know the true nature of death or what happens to bodies and souls after death. However, the nature of death is irrelevant to his arguments because he does not believe death should act as a factor in any decision people make. All people's decisions must be based on examining their lives and choosing to live their lives in a manner that privileges goodness and justice.

Socrates was chosen by God to perform this activity within Athens. He considers it his obligation and the reason for his life that he examine himself and others to determine what is true goodness and justice. Socrates merely states that fortunately he was not required to perform this activity as an official in the public arena because he wo

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d thinking that I am wise when I am not" (52). Socrates maintains that people cannot be afraid of death because to do so would be to pretend that they know what death is (52). He argues that no one knows whether death is not really the greatest blessing that can happen even as they dread it as though they were certain that it is the greatest evil (52). He argues himself superior to other men only in this respect: he does not claim to possess any real knowledge about what occurs upon death. What he does claim to know is that to do wrong and disobey his superior--whether god or man--is bad and dishonorable. Thus, he cannot act in fear of death, but he can act in fear of disobedience, and thus obedience becomes the higher virtue (52). Socrates argues that death can be one of two things (65). Either it is complete annihilation whereby people lose consciousness of all things. Or, the more common view holds, it is a transformation, a migration of our souls from one place to another. If either is the case, Socrates considers death to be a better position than life. If it is a complete loss of consciousness, then it is the equivalent of the best, most dreamless sleep. If, on the other hand, it is a removal from earthly life
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Approximate Word count = 1761
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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