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BOOK2 ‘Writren among the Quad on the River Gran 1 Say to yourself fe ching inthe morning: today T shall meet ‘people who are meddling, ungrateful aggressive, treacherous, ‘malicious, uncial. All this has aflicted them through theie ‘Ignorance of eve good and ei Bue T have seen that he natre of good is whats right, and the ature of evil whats wrongs Sd Ihave reflected tha he natu of the offendexhimeelf ‘kin to my own ota kiaship of blood osc, but a sharing {nthe same mind, the same fxgmentofdviaity. Therefore I canaot be harmed by any of dem s noe wil infect me with {heir wrong. Nor ean Ibe angry with my kinsman oe hate hin, ‘We were bora for eoperaio, ike fet ike hands, ke eyelids, [ke the rows of upper and lowe teeth Soro workin opposition to one another fe against ature: and anger or rejection pposion 2 Whatever i is this being of mines made up of flesh, breath, snd dzecing miad. Now the Bes you should disdain blood, bones» mere abric and network of nerves, veins and ater, Consider to what breath i wind ~ and not even 4 constant, but al he ime being digorged and sucked in agai. That leaves the hid par he dieting mind. Quit your books ~0 sore hankering: isi oe your gif. No, think ke this if you were onthe par of death ‘you are old; doo’ thea le this Giretng mind of yours be enslaved any longer — no more jerking to the strings of selfish iaspule, no more disquiet at your present or suspicion of your fru fate” | | | “The works ofthe gods are fll of providence. The works of Forrune ate not independent of Nature ot the spinning and ‘weaving together ofthe threads governed by Providence. All ‘hinge How fom that world: and facther factors ae necessity tnd the benefit of the whole universe, of which you ae a pat [Now every pact of nstare benefits from that which is brought by the natare of the Whole andall which preserves that astute: snd the order ofthe universes preserved equaly by the changes fn the elements and the changes in their compounds. Let this ‘be enough for you, and your constant doctrine. And give up your thirst fr books, so that you door de a grouc, bu in {rue grace ad heat grade tothe gods. Remeber how long you have ben puting this off how many times you have been given a pesiod of grace by the gods and ‘ot wed iT ie high ime now for you to understand the Universe of which you area pat, and the governor of chat Universe of whom you constitute an emanation: and that there ie limiecieamscibed to your dae ~if you do not wie ito ‘lene away Your clouds, wil be gone, aad you wil be gone, ‘andthe opportunity wil nae ee very hour of he day give vigorous attention as s Roman and 4 man, to the pecformance of the tsk in hand with precise ‘nays with unaffected digniy, with human sympathy, with lspusionte justice ~ and to vacating your ind from alts other thoughts And you will achieve this vacation if you pee ocr each scion aie wece dels of your life feed tha i ftom ll ck 3, ‘usronled deviation from the ordinance of reason, from pretence, from love of self, from ‘isatsfacson with what fate bar dele you. You see how few things a man needs to marter forthe seed low of + god fearing life. The god themelves ack nothing more of one who seeps these observances. Sharm, my soul you are doing self-harm: and you will bave ro more opportaity for sel respec. Life foreach of us isa sete momen, and this life of yous is nearly over, while you a sill show yourself no honour, but let your own welfare depend ‘on othe people's souls. Do exerals tend to distract you? Then give youself the space 1 lear some further good leson, and stop your wandering. “That done, you must guard against the oder sort of dif Those ‘who are dead to fe and bave no am forthe diction of every impulse and, moce widely, every chought ae deivellers indeed ‘ewellas word Failare to read what is happening in anothe' soul not easly s2en a5 2 cause of enhappines: but those who fal to attend © ‘he modiont of their own roal are neces unhappy. Always remember there thing: wha the nature of che Whole is, what my own natre is, the flation ofthis natre to tha, ‘what kindof paris of what kindof Wholes and that theres ‘boone who can preven yu keeping al that you say and doin sccordance with tha ature, of which you are a par. In his comparative ranking of sins, applying pilosophy tothe common man’s distineions, Theopheasts sas that fences of luse are graver than chose of anger: because iis clay some Sortof pan and involuntary spasm which dives the sogey man {abandon reason, whereas the used offender has given in to plesure and scems somehow more abandoned and less ‘manly in his wrongdoing Righty, then, ad ike a tue pil Sopher, Theophrastus said hae greater censure attaches '0 an ‘tlc comand under the induce of pleasure than to one ‘ander the influence of pein. And in general the one i more ike an injured parry, forced to anges by the pun of provocation: whereas the oth ie his own source ofthe impule to wran riven to what he does by lust ‘You may leave this if at any moment: have this possibilty your id ia all that you do or eay or think. Now depactae rom the world of men's nothing to far, if gods exists because they would not involve you in any harm I they do not exit, oil they have no care for humankind, then whats life ro me in a world devoid of gods, or devoid of providence? But they do eit, and they do care fr humankind: and they have putt bsoltely in man's power to avid fling into the tue Kinds of harm. If there were anything harmful in the est of exper fence, they would have provide for that too, to emake in fereryoae's power to avoid falling ito i and if somethi "The nature ofthe Whole would not have been blind to tis sither through ignorance or with knowledge unaccompanied bythe power ro prevent and put right. Nor would ichave made £9 grea an ern through lack of power or silat have ‘fod and bad fang indeciminately, on good and bed people lke, Yes, death and lie, fame and ignomiy, pain and pes. fre, wealth and poverty ~ all there come t0 good and bad slike, be they ace'not in themselves either sight or wrong: Aether then ae they inherent god ore How all things quickly vanish, our bodies themselves lost in the physieal world, the memorier of them lon in time the ‘ature ofall objecs of the ener expecially tho which allie 1 with pleasure, frighten ws with pin oF enjoy the applause ‘of vangy ~ how cheap they are, how contempable, shoddy, Desthable, and dead those are maters for ou intellectual facoky to consider And farther considerations What ar they, these people whoie judgements and voices confer or deny ‘eceem? What is death? Someone looking st deach pers, and Sprlyng the anlyial power of his mind o divest death of t= ‘evocited images, wil conc then tha it x wothing more than a function of natue ~ and if anyone fe fightened of & fanesion of mature, he sa mere cid. And death not only function of mature, bot also ro her bene Torther How docs man touch god, arith what pare of his bing, and when that par of him sin what sor of disposion? [Nothing s more miserable chan one whois always out and about, renning round everyting incicles- in Pindar’ wocds cy “ “delving deep inthe bowels ofthe earth’ ~and looking or signs ‘and symptoms to divine his neighbours’ minds. He does not realize that iis sulfcient to concentrate solely on the divinity ‘within himself and vo vei eae service. Tha service is 0 keep it uncontaminated by passion, wivialty, or discontent at what is dealt by gods or men. What comes from the gods demands reverence for ther goodness. What comes from menis welcome for our kinship’ sake, but sometimes pitable alo, in a way, ‘because oftheir ignorance of good and evi and this is no less 1 disablry chan that which removes the distinction of ight and dark Even if you were destined to live three thousand years, oF ten times chat long, nevertheless remember that no one loses aay life cher chan the one he lives, or lives any life other than the fone he loses. I follows that the longest and the shortest lives are brought tothe same state. Th preset moment i equal for all so whats passing is equal also; the loss therefore turns out to be the merest fragment of time. No one can lose ether the pastor the fare how could anyone be deprived of what he does noc posses? Soralways remember these two things. First, that all hings ‘nave been ofthe same kind from everlasting, coming cound and ‘ound again, and ic makes no diference whether one wil see the same things fora hundeed years, or wo hundred yeas, or {or an infiniey of time. Second, that both the longesclived and the earliest ro die suffer the same loss. cis only the present ‘he Cyncis lear enough: buclear ois the vale of issayig, if one ake the kee fy as fara tis tue “The soul of a man harms itself, fist and foremost, when it becomes (as far asi can) a separate growth a sort of tumour fn the universe: because to reset anything that happens is t0 separate oneself in revole from Nature, which holds in collective ‘embrace che particular natures of all other things. Secondly, ‘when it turns away fom another human being, or is even Carried so far in opposition as to intend him harm ~ such s the ‘cas in the souls of those gripped by ange. A soul harms itself, thirdly, when gives into pleasure or pan. Fourthly, whenever it dissimulates, doing or saying anything feigned or false. Fifth, whenever it fails to direce any ofits own actions or impulses to a goal, but acts a random, without conscious attention ~ whereas even the most trivial action should be ‘undertaken in reference to the end. And the endfor rational creatares isto follow the reason and the rule of that most venerable archetype ofa governing state—the Universe. In man’s if is tine is a mere insane his exisence a is perception fogged, his whole bodily composition raring, his rind whip, his fortune unpredictable, hs fame unclear To puritshoty al hings ofthe body seam away ikea ie, all things ofthe mind are dreams and delsion; lifes warfare, and avai a sane land the only lasting fare is oblivion. ‘What then can escor us on our Way? One thing, and one thing only: pilospiy. This consis in keping the divinity ‘witha s inviolate and fee from harm, master of pleasure Und pai, doing nothing without aim, eth o integrcy, and independent of other action or fllre'to act. Further, acceping al chat happens ands alloted to tas coming fom thar oer source which iss own origin: and a all mes Sang death with che glad couBdence tht is nothing more than the dissolution ofthe elements of which every living crea: ture i composed. Now if there is nothing fearfl for the elements themselves in their constant changing ofeach ito saothes, why should one locke anxiously in prospec at the ‘change and dissolution of them all? This iin accordance with ‘sate and mothng acl sin accordance with aa, SOCRATES: What are you doing here at this time, Crito? Isn't it 43 stil early? cnrTo: Yes, itis socraris: How early, exactly? ccnuo: It hasn't started to get light yer. socrares: I'm surprised the warder didn’t refuse to answer your knock. criTo: He's become something of @ friend of mine, Socrates, what with my coming here s0 often. Besides, he’s slightly in my debt, socnates: Have you just arrived? Or have you: been here some time? cruo; A little while. socnares: Why didn’t you wake me up straight away? What are ‘you doing just sitting there beside me in silence? arto: I wouldn't have dreamt of it, Socrates, For my part, I ‘wouldn't choose to be in this state of sleeplessness and misery, and I've been astonished for some time now to see how soundly you sleep. I deliberately didn’t wake you because I wanted you to enjoy your rest It's aften struck me in the past ~ all through iy life in fact — how lucky you are in your temperament. And it strikes me much more forcibly in your present misfortune, You bear it so easily and calmly, socrates: Yes, Crito, I do, It wouldn’t make much sense for a ‘man my age to get upset at the prospect of dying, carro; Other people your age find themselves in similar « predicaments, Socrates, Their age doesn’t stop them getring upset at their misfortune, socnares: Tru. Anyway, why have you comes ext? ‘arto To bring new, Socrates. Bad ney, Not bad fr you, a: frat can see but forme and al your ends bad and ard ‘ober. AndT tink sal ind hand wo bear anybody. socaares Wint 1 of neva? His che bost fom Delos 4 ved =the one my being puto deal as ben wating foe? aro: 1 hast acl avd, but I shi fe wil day, 12 ig by the repors of sme people who've jus come fom Suntan e was there when tey lf Ts clear fom what they ‘sid ta waive today, sad so tomorrow, Soc, You tl be foread vo end your socaaras: Well Ct hop twill tra out fr she bes thar is how the gods wane ie All tbe sme, T don't ink i wl come ey, 4 caro: Wha tha bei aed on? socnares: sell you Lam 1 i,t Tundetind onthe dy 2 the ship aries. ‘carro: Yes, Arle, sha’ what the people is charge of thse ‘ting sy. socnares Then I think i will ome tomorow, not vadsy. te thr bai on dream Thad lst ht, Just before T woke ‘sp. Peaps it wacky you dn wake me caste: Wise ws the dea? scares: [572 woman, fie and beaut fa + white clo. Ske came up 1 ms end clld my nome ‘Soot? the aie "Tze dys wil bear you home to Piha shore."* ‘ensro: A sage deam, Sorts, socnares: Clear enough, though, I think, Cait. ‘arto: Only 00 clear, I'm aid. Now liter, Sora, i's not {20 ate even now to do at Ty and eee” Iya ae pt fo death, then or mci twofld duster Quite spat Eom my losing fiend wach sal never Bnd aso, thee wil dso be 1 lot of people hore who doe now you or mo tal wall «who wall hak had the ehence ove you i'd been prepared A open ome mony bt a1 wanted ning. argo magn pol ting myhing vane oa ou than Sage aig ato sy ano ted ho pal wl nets lee wat pw aed Site hen Dal nt ogy ogee do socaaas Hose, Cel Why tal ee mach tue pope aoe heb ppl she ae he ot Setune ely ow ele age a ey ys de cao at dnt yon Sat We ben hie bo he show war oe pi io wel Te os sion ite fyi a au erp ck 2S sorta bajo ate lars cn af en Sg tele eo socaurm ely hy coud Col he my cod do SSS peat nln at wea an hy te ep of ‘Sigurt pe pod wel wh ol be tie sa ney lncap oa lg oe, They be So power ‘Sate lar wr ei or 0 ry a as Sect te Caer ie ype, Bae me oiing. Sec. ‘Sey wel Koo utd oo Sn De yet ‘ISDS pee sl gn ele whe Peon mo nies hago og ir eon, EPEiging ys ou efhent Dopon Sia we ate ca © Gata et propery a oy we ge fa nd mage ‘ego ee pty fon igi ot iin yuteld el dek gett eater gh Wein ‘hy bad mn hb i te you= ape ant sag sod even erty, aod be So fan me Bont ay" socnarms Tit someting I won shot, Cio, Tha, md ‘ny oe hing ees aT: Wel te, don't be sion tat soe, Ta a Pop pple note gsm of cy ste ou Ind per sot of. adap om thr at yo ody bags ty teen whe mae ago ‘of prosecutions? Ie wouldn't need aor of money to take tare of them. You have my reiouces at your disposi That should be plenty, imagine. And if you'e worted about me, and fel you houlda’ spend my money, look a the people we've got here ‘who are not Athenians, who are ready to spend thers, One of, ther, Sizumiss the Theban has actully brought enough money: far joe tis purpote. Cebes too silly prepared, and.t0 ae ‘many othes. Soa Tsay, you shouldn't let these fea stop you saving youre And don’ lett bean objection, 21 you daiued {i cour, thar you wouldn't know what o do ‘with yourself | you went into ele, There are lots of places you can go where ‘theyll be glad to see you. If you'd like to go vo Thessaly, for example, my fily has Giende there who'l be delighted to ‘you. Theyil give you sancruary. Nobody in Thessaly wil gi you any erouble. ‘And apart Som that, Socrates, it is actully wrong, ia my pinion, ro sacece yourself as you ae proposing to do, when you could espe. You seem t0 be voluntary choosing for {Yount the Lind of fixe your enemies would have chosen for ‘You and did choose for you when they were tying to destroy You. Worse sil, think, i the heuayal of your own sons, when there's nothing to stop you bringing them up and educating them ~ and yet you're going to go away and leave them, and for ‘Al you care they can tum our how they will The chances are ‘they'l have the kind of life orphans generally do have without ‘their parens. No, either you shouldn't have children, or you ‘should ply your par, and go through with the labour of raising tnd educating hem. You seem to me tobe taking the eary way ‘out. What you should do is choose what a decent and cour {0us man Would choose ~ you who have spent your wile life ‘aiming to be concemed with viru Personally, I'm ashamed, both for you and for shoe of us who ate your fiends. I thi this whole business of your wil be thought to be dhe resale of fame lick of relation on our pa. There wat the Bringing of the case, for 4 start ~ the fet that it came to court when it needa’: have done. Then there was the aezal conduct ofthe ‘ae in coun. And now thi, the final absurdity of the whole slfir, has we shall be thought to have missed the opporuniey— {through our own cowardice and lack of rslaton, since We nro dda’ save you nor did you sve youre though it was posible 4s and within yous power with even a modest amount of ep fom 3s Don't let all ths be a humiliation, Socrates ~ both fo you and for'us ~ in adton to being nevi, Think it over, Or tater, he tim for thinking it over is pst. You should by now have thought it over = ther is only one course of action. The whole thing most be done this coming night. If we wait any Tonge, i wil be impouble. The epporcuiy wil be gone. 1 cannot urge you to trongy, Socrates, Listen rome. Do a 3 socnaras: My dear Cito, your wilngnet obelp it adie iF there is any jusiiestion for it, Otherwise, the geste: your ‘wilingnes, the more out of plice is. So weld Better lok into ‘whether this the right thing to do or not. Ie has been my price, aot just now but always fom the resrces at my posto tus only the psciple which on rellection seems most appropriate. I can't auddenly throw overboard principles ‘whic T have put forward ia the pat simply Beczse ofthe Sinton T now nd myelin. Those pincples seem to me be prety mich the same ab ever, and stil exeem and value © them the way Ihave done in the past. If we ean find any beter ‘ncple than these fo put forward on chis cession, you can be fue sure Tim not gong to agree with you, however many Tugbears the power ofthe many produces to scare ts ~ as if we ‘were cilden ~ leting lose of ti impesonments, is death fentences and its Bes. ‘ery wl, what ithe bet way flocking into this question? ‘Why don's we sart by going back to the argument you put forward bused on what people wil think? Were we Hight of ‘wrong, ll hose times, when we id we should listen to some & opinions, but not to then? Or were we right before T'was sentenced to dew, only fo ie now to become clear thar was & ‘waste of breath, spoke simply for the sake of having something tay Wasa juvenile tay? For my pr, Co, very much ike to carry out joint enquiry with You, to see whether the principle wil seem rather diferent to me row that I am in this situation, oF whether it wil seem the same and whether were going to forget about i ot fllow it ‘The principle so often put forward T think, by thore who ‘hough they knew wha they were king about, wa the ove I was puting Seward jst now ~ that of the opiaions held by ‘men, we should repad some at import, but not otkem Sriouly, Ceo, don't you think dus i = sound pcg? | Baring teciden, you're notin the postion of having toe tomorow, s0 you shoulda’ be influenced by the present ‘ution. Bramie the quesion. Dont you think it x round | Principe that we should not value all human opinions eqely? ‘Shoulda we value some highly, bet nt othen? And the sme | ‘With she people who hold te opinions. We shoulda vane all (fthem. We doald value some, but no ches. What do you ‘Bink et hi a oud principle? cor Yes is socxaTes We should value the god opinions, bu ot the bad one cao: Ye. socasTes: Area's good opaioas the opinions of the wise ‘where bad epnions re hose ofthe folk? fi carro: Obviouly. socaares: Well sha, what was the kindof slogy we wel mpl? If man sing pial execs, and tes what Be ‘Sinresed ta, does be ten to Just anjons’s praise and ‘can and opinion, or only one penon's~the penn who i {i icca media expert or psc taining inseuctor? ‘erro: Only one penon' socasras So he should worry sbout the cxicisms, and wel. come the prs, ofthis one penoa, but not hos of the many? ‘esto: Cea he shold scares: In what he dost, then ~ in the eerie he tes in ‘hat heer and drink ~ he shouldbe guided by the one msn ‘the man in charg, the expert~rather than by eveyone ee carro: That io, socasres: Wel, thes. If he does liven to the one man, does value his opaion and recommendations, but docs ae | those ofthe many who ae not exper, won't he do bial tome han? ‘nro: Of cour he wil socaaras, Whit this arm? Whit i is exen? Wea pst of ‘theman who does liten tthe expect does it anack? ‘aro: is body, obvious. That i wht it damages socmeres: Quite ght. Well the, i the same alo in ote smations, Cio, to vew going trough al the examples ~ and ‘specaly wit ght and wrong, fol andi, good and bad the things we sre now dicasng? Should we flow the opinion of ‘he many, and Gear tha? Or the opinion ofthe one man, ie ¢ ‘an ad an expert onthe subject Should we respect and fee {his one man more than all the reve put together And if we don't flow his avis, thea we sal injure and do cence to that part which we hve often agreed is made barby utice ‘sd damaged by injure, Oris his al wrong? ‘aro: No, think iti ight, Socrates, socsamas Very well Take the thing whichis made benee by heh and dang by due If we ria it by flowing advice other than 2st ofthe expert ur ie word ving once that ‘inured? This the body, af eoune, ox" Fi cnr: Yee soca i Me worth Bring, then, if our body isin poor fondon and injured? nso: Cenily not. socuaTas How sbout the thing which i atacked by ijstioe ‘and beped by jose? Is out ie worth ing when tit it ‘injured? Ordo we regard ile niporan then the body, this thing ~ whichever of our fuse fire which jrice and 4 Injustice belonge nso: No, we cerinly don't. socnaras: More important, hea? ‘esto: Mach more import. SocnaTes In that eae, my dear Send, we should’ pay the Aight attention, at you sggesed we shoal oo what mos ‘peopl wl ay about we, We should itn only the exper on Jose and injure, co the one man, and to the tah ele. So you were wrong or sa, ia oe of your sugesions~ when you mggeted we should worry abut the opinion of che many fn he sajet of use, Highs, good, and their opposites, ‘AK you mighty, but the many ae lable fo put ust death coro: That too i obvioualy ee. You might well sy tht, Socras, You're quite gh. socnas All the sme, my lesmed ind think te principle trove stout tl ha he sme force ar i. And what sbost (his second pincpe? ‘Tel me, our balef that che mort Seporant hing is noc ro ive, bate live a god ie ~ doe tht sal old or aot carro: It does. socaxras And that good exillent and jost are one andthe ‘Se hing does ha sll ol oF 202? car: Ie dos, socuaTes Well the, in the light ofthe pons we've aged, we ‘ust ook ino the quasdon whether its just or not at for me to miempr oleae here wihout he pemixon ofthe Athenians. Tet Becomes der tht iti jut lor ws make the step. (Osher le forget about Afr the queens you rise ‘expense, public opinion, the upbringing of chen ~ spect ‘hatin realy, Cato these are the concer of thowe who realy pu people a dat, and wood m realy bring them back «9 ite again, f thy could fr no ron a al In other word, he many. For uh though, the hing i to flow wher the {rpument leads us, and Teather think the only queson we necd {RE sc he one we aed just now. Sha we ac july ifwe give || 4 our money ad ose aio hove who wil args my pe Eom here ori we ounelves range the ecape and alow eto be srenged? Or dal we in tah be axing anja ifwe do all_| thee thing? If doing te das i ely oma hen Tm | pry sure we shoulda’ ake into account the cen ether of — | elog puto dnt if we tay hte nd scp things get, ot fig ring he oped ithe age | Sage nro: Tm me you'e sight Socrates, You beter te what ou ai we cup co do socaaTs Let ut ok oto i together, my good fiend And if {Jou ave as objeto a soy peat to whet Tim sping then ‘jeey and ten to you. Bor if you dont then oe fone ke sop repeing she sme ting ovr 0d over Sin ~ that hold ete here gash wil of he Athens. ite very imporant to moto swith Your agreement ther dt ‘evn your wie Now, ik abou the sang pnt foot in Do you rp itso? Aad whes ou sewer 4 {he gueien, mindy say wha you say hile i cauvo Tey, } {oceara Do we sy we ould never in ay way debely ser unjuy?‘Or ae etme ways wich we thou et “rj nd other wap in which we bold ot? Or cng ‘uy ahr olen ben aed among inthe pay saver Sy my good and ght Or have al thre things we on ‘rnd on bec hte fe aps auch wr nde (ES Did we poe ren end atte age we were, Co, om hinge mney wih co der wheat teling re er to bet than cel Or a wt esd {hen mtv tne now thn ee? Whether peopl’ gee or tot and whether re hie fo aderg hsp ore severe ven thn thor pomtly le severe a gus fn Sex tothe pemon ho doen ovry way od ad i ‘hs what meta, ona hod ‘xo socaaas: In which case, we should never act unjustly. i caso: No, we shoulda, socaxris And even we 86 wronged, we shoud not set ‘jst in eealtion, amos people nk nce we ough ot tots nly, 136 _sywrostum AND TH DEATH OF SOCRATES = eau: Apparently nt socaamis: What shout hanming people, Cute? Should we do {hat oF not ‘ur: suppose no, Soe socearas How about haming people ia retlaon, if we are {njued by hem fie which what moet people wy we should ot Etat jos or uj? carro: Wholly unit. socanmes; And tha, imagine, i becase injuring people ino ‘bent Gom entig them ijt ‘caves That's igh, socnarss: In dat cae, we should aciher ac unjay in ‘ladon, nor do2ny injury co anyone in the worl no mater ‘Bow we've been ested by them. And if you ape with that, 4 Cato, make sure your aseement doesnot run counter fo your ‘mae opinion. I reite not many people acept thi view = oF ‘ver wl accep ie-There so common grad berween those ‘who do scope i and thove who don't Bach side necesaely regards de opinions ofthe other with coutempt So You foo ‘uct tink very hard about it. Ave you on our side? Do you gee with ws ia accepting vhs view? Shall we bue our fgament on the premise hat iis never ight oat unusly of ct wnjasy in ealladon, oI you ae injured, dete youself ‘by harming people in renlistion? Or do you dingres? Do you ‘eject the onal premize! Pemonally, have bla ti view for ‘Tong dine, snd Tell bold inom. if yo have been holding ome other view, ll me. Insract me. Buty and by wht ‘we eid eater, then linen 2 what allow om carro: I do sand by i and I agree with you, Tell me what ‘low. socaars: Vry well wl you, Or rather, Ia you, Ione fponon makes an agreement ir areement~ with another, ould he do what he hs agreed, or thou he uy and ge ot oft cnr: He should do wit he has ase. Socnaras: See whut follows then. If we lerve here without pernading the cy to change Is mind, are we or are We aot 50 ‘njurng omebody or tometiag~and tho we bave la case 10 injure, a tha? Are we sanding by our agreement ~ on fit sgreement~ or noe? cour: I can't smnver your quenion, Socates. I doa’ uadee- sand socaaT: Look a it ke chit. Suppote we ere about to un ‘ny, ot whatever we're apposed fo al fom her, and the laws and Sate of Athens came and appeared to me and asked: ‘Tell me, Socrates, what are you tying to do? Tet your Jnzetion nei stion you ae embarking on, simply to destroy & oth wy the vo, andthe ene iy ani ax Hes within your owes? Do you ink is poasble fer a ty continue to exis, fd not be’ tedly overwbsimed, ifthe veri of i cours have 90 force =i they ae rendered lnvald and destoyed by private cae?” What are we going to ay, Cato, co these {quetoor and othen lke tam? There's a lot you could, ‘spec. a publi advcae, in dene of this nw we'e ing to do ay withthe law which ays down that verdicts rived a nthe cours shouldbe binding Shall we sy to ther, "Yeu ‘but che city ented ws unde didnot each vedi © ‘aly. Ts as wn wee going 0s? Or what? a: Yes tt mo ema wht wee pig ty sous: But hen suppose the lis sy, "Wat tht what wis ‘peed bexwean ut sd you, Soca? Or a i 9 abide by the ‘dies tho cy aes atin cours” And if we enpreed surpie ttheir question hey might ad: "De not be surprised by ‘out question, Socrates. Answers You hae bad encugh price 2 gltonandanwe Cons ohn, Wis pce 08 ‘peal 0 guint us and the ey, 0 allow you tty snd detoy & 14? Did we nat bing you into exitence, fr a eat Was it not through us that you Gther marie your mother, and fhered you? Tell ws, den, thove of ur who are the lime govering ‘martag, have you tome eric of? Are we ar ulin some ‘way? "No, Thave no exes’ T should reply. ‘And what aboot the Inws «0 do with your upbeinging, and the edueaon you teerived afer you were born? Did we not give your ther the Fgh instruedons~ thos of ws whose Job i to aed fo tis ‘when We tod him to educate you in the ars and phytic 1+ fining? "No, they were the ight instructions T would 2. "Wel chen. Since you were bor, brought up and educated under our protection, then fox a wart you were out ofpring and our sae you end your parents. Can you deny that? And ‘that being 0, do po think wis i ja fr you i ons par with ‘hat inj I we decide todo something t you, do you ‘ink is phe for you todo ows in erent There Wat no ‘gua ofjunce as becween you and your Ghee or maser, iP you had one lowing you m do fom in eetrn what he did 41 f you~ to answer him back if he spake abusive to you, oF ‘eat him i return i'you were bese, of anything ike dae In ‘which cae, wll ibe permised for you todo eto your country nd is law? Ifwe decide to desroy you, becouse we think I Eight wo dos, wil you in your tua, coche Best of your ably, set aboot destoyng x, the laws, and your county, i rim? ‘And will you claim tain acting ke this you wre cing what ‘ghs you wo are so aly concerned about humsn ve? “indie theexene of your wisdom, that you don't even realise hae your counny i something of greater ae, someting of (pester divinity and holinas, and altogether more import ~ Both among gods and amosg men, i they. have any sense ~ ‘ha your mother, your Eider and all hers of your ances ur opener? That Your country shouldbe revered, submited {5, pleated when aney ~ more than your fher~ and ether Pesuaded to think sin, or obeyed? That you should quietly ccepe whatever tresnene ~ beating, pethaps, or imprisom ‘ent it decides you shuld receive? Or if it takes you f War, {abe wounded or Hiled that i what you should do, and ha is ‘what ir ght? That you should nor give way, of retreat, ot shundon Your posiion, bur that in wat, inthe Isweours, or tnywhere at a, you should do. what your city and. your « county tell you, of elie convince them where justice natually lies? Thae the se of force sist Your mother or Gther it conmay to god's law ~ sil more 50 the we of force against your couasry?” What are we going to sy in answer to his, ‘carro (ot Sal wey the ew ai, or ot no: Wel ik heya ht socnart ‘Conse, then, Soren the ame mh pears fy "Ar we ign ying there no niston fhe hinge ou ae now apg ost We tered yoo, roa [pretend gonntore greta etey cor ae eas i cy good isn out poe oie: And even then ‘ite ay Athenian wo when ne comer of gear 4 oo t Sins comton an tb Ins a ese not f0 bis action then by grin ha peision we ake t Pehle decarton ro aon woe wise tee ay take what Tand gr where be pour Iesonn choses tr geo one of oar elon, bcs We sade yar orto A og orf tre, espa ose other pl, and go wherever Ne sta thw of proper nose of and in i ‘ay robin we do pt anyone who choot 0 ‘ala afer seing how we reach edict cours ad how tr aks our hr plieseangrmen, arin eft ome 0 Trapictent wi ito de whstwe el him We my Seman ‘tho dnboy on doag wren a hee way: He echo rho dered hes He dbeyng te who Bough i ‘Sp Aadbavng sudo an agement fo obey sy be i neler leyag no ofag ts nike dang oe tlc Uf we oe ding inehoy which snoop We nae him r= Sot haniy dctanding tat Be do whatever wo order Bot Slowing ns sight choice, cierto make tr changs ost minds Se doa we sty “and be doc ner These we he harge Soest, which we Sy ou to wl eer Yous ibis", you set ou me propong to at Yow in tat oe wong the Atenas “hn keds why me pric, they mig eae e's lepnate compl spa me They coal sy ht, {hot anya Ge besa rely ave ene ti afm ‘is them Soc they could ty we hove comico rides that we andthe cy to your king You col poly bye se moe ou ie ing erin Aer an En other Attias ifthe plc dnt been prolly co yor itp: You wou have ried ever fo lave the cy te 1 —_—_—_—=__ EEE famous places ~ except Corinth, once ~ or go anywbeee 2 al except On miliary sevice. You never went abroad, a other people do, You were’ sind wih «dete to know any ober Gy or anyother laws. No, you were sed with us, and with our ci. In fc, firmly did you choove ws and agree to live your Bf a cide under ws, tat you even produced eilrea fn the cy. You woulda’ have done that if ad not been 0 our liking. Even at your wil it was open to you f propose enaky of ele i you chose, and do then with the y's permision what you are now proposing to do without You. pata brave face oni then, yng you did't mind ifyou had to ‘Be, You preferred death, yous, to exe. But naw You el no ‘ame at those wordy and you fl nothing far, the a8 {you see aboot danroyiog a In my tran sry in breach of the consace and agetment by which you agred ire your lie as cldzen, you are acing ar the meaner save would at ‘Answer us this, fore sare Ate we ight in ying hat you have agreed ~ not js verbally bot by your bebaiour~ to lve your Mi asa czen under us? Or are we wrong?” What ae Wwe going to yt this, Cato? Done we have to agree? caste: Yes, we're bound , Soeates. socearas: ‘Area’ you simply breaking conmcs and agreements + which you have with w? they could ik. “You dd’ enter into hem under compubion, or under Sie pretences. You ween fbrced to make up your mind on the pur ofthe moment. You ad seventy year in which you were at Ubety to leave, if we ‘were nor 10 your king of you thought the agreement wat ‘Gae. You dia’ choose Spates or Crete intad laces which you have always decribed a wellpoverned. You dda’ choose sony other cy, inside or ouside Greace. Even people who are ite, o blinds orcippled in other way, pend more time s¥ny. ‘fom Achens dhs you did, Tht an indication, quite leu, of how you, more than any of he Athenians, found the ci, 0d tat the ls, co your liking. Aer al, who could ind cyto his king, and'noe like i Inwi? And wil you not now sand by wae you agreed? You wl i you take our advice, Socats. Tas wy you wl sed mang younel eon by levng iy. "Think about it, fy break this greement, and pu younel in the wrong in this way what good wil you do Yous oF ‘your Sind? That your fend wil probly hae t go into ele ar wel, be ct off fom thei cy, and fret thle propery, is eaonaly clear. And you? Well supose you 1a ‘ce of he cies nearby ~ Thebes, oF Mega, both of which Inve good laws, Ia the Bint place, Socats, you wil came ro them i an eneay of chal consiution. Thote who exe fr ‘hei ey wl look st you withsspiclon, believing yu tobe 2 Aksmoyer othe lve, You wl abo rsafrce the opinion of the sy bout you. They wil decide they did reach the ight ‘erie. Aer all here's » rong presumption that 2 man who « ‘ltooy hele wl be a deere aduenee on people who fe young and foolish, Wil you in that ie avoid cies with {ood ave and che be governed among mankind? And you fo, wi ibe wort your while ging on ving? Or wil You visi thot cide? And wil you hae the nerve, is your conventions with them ~ what sor of conventions, Soca? ‘The ones you had heve abode ve and juice being ofthe gents value fo mankind togetber with isorn andthe vs? Don't you think this would seem »digracetl way for Soctes to behave? You csily should. ‘ "Ox wl you leave ds pu of the odd and gp to Ci fiend in Thess? Youth find all ors of sacchy and self indulgence up there. No doube they'd lore co het the amusing Sry of Your funting away fom pron in some conte ot ‘ther = wenng leben, peup, oF one ofthe other

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