| layout | dialogue | |||||||||||||||
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| title | Criteo | |||||||||||||||
| introduction | Unmoved by the claims of justice grounded in his private relationships to friends and family, Socrates appeals to the standards of civic justice. | |||||||||||||||
| cast_of_characters |
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SocratesWhy have you come so early, Crito? Or is it not still early?
CritoIt certainly is.
SocratesHow early?
CritoBesides, Socrates, I do not think that what you are doing is just, to give up your life when you can save it, and to hasten your fate as your enemies would hasten it, and indeed have hastened it in their wish to destroy you. [d] Moreover, I think you are betraying your sons by going away and leaving them, when you could bring them up and educate them. You thus show no concern for what their fate may be. They will probably have the usual fate of orphans. Either one should not have children, or one should share with them to the end the toil of upbringing and education. You seem to me to choose the easiest path, whereas one should choose the path a good and courageous man would choose, particularly when one claims throughout one’s life to care for virtue.
SocratesI am surprised that the warder was willing to listen to you.
Thoughts: Protagoras's idea suggests that truth is relative to individual perception, as seen in the wise man story highlighting personal knowledge and its illusions. Socrates recognized this, valuing the awareness of one's ignorance as essential for reliable judgment. The wise person measures by evaluating both knowledge and ignorance, stressing that self-critique is crucial to avoid misconceptions. Protagoras leans into anthropocentrism, while Socrates focuses on dialogue, implying that understanding grows through shared discussion, balancing subjective views with objective inquiry.
I need to explore the difference between illusions of sense and knowledge with my friend Theodotos. When he mentions the "man is the measure" idea, I see it as an opportunity for discussion. Protagoras highlights individual perspectives, while Socrates emphasizes the importance of questioning these beliefs through cross-examination. The wise man story also suggests that measurement must include awareness of one's own ignorance. If we lack reflexivity, we risk falling into the illusions of various roles like politicians or poets. So, while each person's viewpoint matters, it's crucial to mature this understanding through dialogue.
I cannot, in justice, betray the agreements and commitments I have made.