Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“And I should like to know whether I may say the same of another proposition—that not life, but a good life, is to be chiefly valued?”
- Source
- Crito
- Date
- 4th century BCE
- Local voice
- Dialogue speaker · Socrates
- English wording
- Benjamin Jowett — Translator · from Ancient Greek
Meaning of “And I should like to know whether I…”
Socrates asks Crito to value the moral quality of living over the mere continuation of life. This is part of his reasoning about whether escaping from prison would violate principles he already accepts, rather than an abstract invitation to sacrifice life without considering circumstances.
Where does it come from?
Plato, Crito, approximately 48b, Socrates speaking with Crito in prison; Benjamin Jowett public-domain English, Gutenberg #1657. The conditional question occurs in the dramatic text after a discussion of justice, public opinion and fear of execution. Socrates is the dramatic speaker; it is not a recorded autobiographical quotation by Plato.
Why the local voice matters
Jowett English; Crito; local speaker Socrates, not Plato in autobiography.
