Final answer:
Socrates asserted that avoiding wickedness was more difficult than escaping death. He valued the pursuit of virtue through knowledge and reasoned inquiry, considering these as the path to an ethical life. Physical death was secondary to the moral integrity and quality of one's life.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Socrates, what is more difficult than escaping death? Socrates believed that it was far more challenging to avoid wickedness than to avoid death. In his view, death is a certainty that will come to all, but wickedness, which stems from ignorance and a lack of virtue, is something that one can and should strive to avoid. This concept is rooted in the ethical philosophy of Socrates, where he champions the pursuit of knowledge and the examined life as the path to virtue.
Plato, a student of Socrates, expanded upon his teacher's philosophies, particularly in the works where he recounts Socrates' dialogues. The emphasis on living a virtuous life, according to Socrates, can be observed through his unwillingness to flee from his death sentence, as he reasoned that doing so would impede his ability to live and examine a virtuous life.
In essence, Socrates viewed physical death as a lesser harm compared to the harm one does to their character or soul by living in ignorance or malevolence. Therefore, Socrates highlights that the greatest difficulty lies in living a life that is aligned with wisdom and virtue, not in merely avoiding the inevitable end that is death.