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Essay 1
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Carolyn Rudy

1. The nation is at war, and your number in the recently reinstated military draft has just come up. The problem is that, after serious reflection, you have concluded that the war is unjust. What advice might Socrates give you? Would you agree? What might you decide to do? Read the Introduction, Chapter 2 Crito and the Conclusion Chapter 40 Phaedo by Plato.
Some people think war is justified because; it is in order to counter terrorism. I think they're wrong because rather than war being the only solution my opinion is that war is the worse way to handle a conflict. I agree, that sometimes we are forced to do things we might not want to do, for example after the terrorist attack of September 11, it became inevitable for United States not to retaliate. It is logical and justifiable that the people, who are involved in those attacks directly or indirectly, must be captured and punished for killing more than 3000 people. However, I don't think that it makes war acceptable. In war, we intend to kill enemy troops, to get to dangerous leaders and avenge our own loss. Yet, we cannot have a violent, successful war without killing innocent people. If we are going to war to avenge the killing of our own citizens, think of what we are doing to them. We are going off and killing their innocent people, causing them the same pain we felt. Crito did not understand the madness of Socrates, Crito will do whatever it takes to help his friend to flee, instead of being exiled by the government. AI do not think that what you are doing is right, 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.@(Crito )

2. Would it have been unjust for Socrates to escape? If you think it would have been, explain your position on whether it is ever morally appropriate to disobey the law. If you think Socrates could have escaped without committing an



References: Austin W., Michael. (2006, August 21). Divine Command Theory. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 19, 2012 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/divine-c/. Byrne, Peter. (2007, December 4). Moral Arguments for the Existence of God. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 19, 2012 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-arguments-god/.

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