Big questions

In my 2021 quest to learn the basics of Western philosophy, I recently finished Plato’s Apology. The writing centers largely around Socrates monologuing at his trial before an Athenian court. Spoiler alert: Socrates is ultimately condemned to death.

Upon receiving the verdict, Socrates has one final opportunity to speak. While doing so, he points out that he could have saved himself if only he’d been willing to give the court what they wanted:

…weeping and wailing and lamenting and saying and doing many things which you are accustomed to hear from others, and which, as I maintain, are unworthy of me.

In short, Socrates life ended because he felt that falling on his sword or feigning guilt would have been the unrighteous thing to do, and that unrighteousness was less tolerable than death.

Did his pride get in the way, or did he make a bold stand for a kind of ethos worth dying for? I would imagine most people would probably weep, wail and lament to avoid the death penalty, even if they were innocent. Is that smart or is that cowardly?

Answering the questions of who we are is a big deal. If tomorrow you had to decide whether to lay down your life for your country, or remove a loved one from life support, or quit a job because of an unethical boss, what would you do? What does your answer say about you?

I can promise that trying to make most of those kinds of decisions in real time is the worst way to make a good decision. Fear, stress, and high emotions create the perfect environment for poor choices.

Answer the big questions now so when the time comes, your decision is already made.