In Apology 28b-30c, Socrates admits that he is not ashamed of pursuing a life that has not put him at risk of early death. The philosopher’s convictions hinge on the rational premise that it is worse to “live as a bad man” and not consider justice when taking action (28b). Further, he brings up a self-evident proposition by claiming that humans do not know whether death is inherently good or bad, yet, they treat it as “the greatest of evils (29b).” Socrates concludes that the fear of death rules many people’s lives and brings them debilitating shame. The premise disproves the belief because it exposes how distorted people’s system of values is. Socrates insists that people should not fear death but rather be afraid of living an unexamined life. What is truly terrifying is not to pay attention to one’s actions in the now and only think about one’s inevitable demise.
Work Cited
Plato. Apology. 2019, BookRix.