For this reason it is considered by many to be a historical enigma, a dissonance of the history of thought, which raised an Athenian to the pinnacle of philosophy, about whose teaching and way of life we know only from information and memories of his students, of Plato, of Aristotle and Xenophon.
Nevertheless, what is considered an enigma hides all the greatness of a man who did not only teach, but he also lived and died as he believed and taught, as a philosopher!
In the Platonic dialogue "Crito", which was once taught in Greek Schools, we watch minute by minute the climax of Socratic philosophy, as a way of thinking and living.
The Athenian Republic has sentenced him to death for a month and a half, attributing to him the responsibility for its deterioration and undermining, wanting at the same time to get rid of an annoying voice, the voice of a free man, who taught others to distinguish right from wrong, right from wrong.
Paralos, Nevertheless, the next day he returns, the decision of the Court of Ilias must be implemented and Socrates must be put to death…
His devoted friends and disciples, at the last moment, they come to the prison and suggest that he escape!
Everything is ready, salvation assured…
That, Nevertheless, he refuses!
It is not possible, he, which consumed his critical life, controls and calls for new moral values, to escape. He will stay and obey the laws of his country, willingly, with apathy, with pleasure, yet. Because, to them, the laws of his country, despite his initial disagreement and despite the harm done to him, always maintains that friendly respect, which we have to,what is very dear to us.
He knows very well that a city cannot stand on its own two feet, in which laws and court decisions remain only on paper, they have no authority, but they are thwarted and trampled upon by the citizens!
To the injustice of his condemnation he does not accept to add his own injustice, in defiance of the laws of his country!
Such was the form of Socrates, alive, true and genuine, pulsating with the idea of law, consistency and ethics.
Today, two and a half thousand years later, the citizens of a state who consider themselves descendants of Socrates and their state based on the same principles of equality and institutionalized law, the laws, we go down the streets, we unite, we organize and resist strongly and dynamically, whenever a law harms or we think harms the straits, personally, our guild or local interests.
When, Nevertheless, the observance of laws becomes selective and it is left to our discretion to abide by whomever we want and whomever interests us, then everything turns upside down, and social harmony and cohesion and above all this same Democracy.
Besides, there cannot be even the smallest and simplest form of society, without laws, without rules, that govern the lives of its members and regulate their relationships.
The importance,in fact, and the necessity of laws, equine nature also teaches us, which is governed by natural laws, the violation or violation of which causes unavoidable and unavoidable destruction!
Nobody, naturally, he cannot consider all laws good and just, no one can rule out the case of laws, that serve and promote closely individually, factional or even economic interests, since we do not live in a society of angels!
That's why, unfortunately, and obeying laws depends on how much they benefit us, as individuals and as groups, regardless of whether they promote the common good!
It is that we have lost the collective ego, that we have subordinated sociability to our individuality, that above the general we selfishly place our personal good…
But, even if we find ourselves in front of an obviously unjust and undemocratic law, we are obliged to adhere to it and at the same time try to convince the Legislature to change it.
Otherwise, the sac of Aeolus opens!
"If the laws are broken", wrote Demosthenes, "and let every one be given authority to do whatever, what does he want, not only the state is destroyed, but also our life will in no way differ from the life of beasts"… And he came to the conclusion that "the laws must be respected by everyone, otherwise everything is catalyzed, everything turns upside down, everything is confused and the state becomes a stronghold of the wicked and careless."
† Dorotheos II of Syros and Mykonos
("DEMOKRATIA" newspaper, SATURDAY, 15.11.2014)
NewsRoom Mykonos Ticker