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Analysis Of Euthyphro And Socrates

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HUM2225 Dr. Hotchkiss September 30, 2016 Moral Insight Plato’s Euthyphro is based on a lesson between Socrates and Euthyphro outside of the Athenian court about the definition of pious or impious. Euthyphro was surprised to see Socrates there and even more curious to find out why he was there. Socrates explained that the court was persecuting him for impiety because Meletus was spreading rumors about him corrupting the Athenian youth. Euthyphro explains to Socrates that he was there to prosecute his father for murdering a farm worker named Dionysus. Socrates swells Euthyphro’s ego with a sarcastic comment. Euthyphro implies that he is an expert in the field of holiness. Socrates obviously amused by Euthyphro self-proclaimed expertise that he pretends to be unfamiliarity with the topic at hand and asks Euthyphro to teach him what is pious. …show more content…

Socrates dissatisfied with this definition begins to push Euthyphro to think on his argument of pious and impious rather than an example. Taken back from what Socrates has just told him that he attempts to define pious but instead proposes the possibilities of pious, not a definition. Socrates explained to Euthyphro that the correct definition would help him argue against Meletus’ charges of impiety. He attempts to answer Socrates’ question once more by stating that pious is a form of

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In Euthyphro, Plato writes about a conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro while outside the coliseum. Socrates is trying to define, “What is piety?” as it is important for Socrates to understand, since one of the charges that Meletus claims is Socrates, is impious. Euthyphro claims to be an expert in what is pious and he is going to be charging his own father with murder. Four different attempts between Euthyphro and Socrates were made to define piety.

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In this paper I will discuss and evaluate the definitions of piety in Plato’s Euthyphro. Plato wrote this dialogue shortly after Socrates death. The Euthyphro is one of Plato’s early philosophy dialogs in which it talks about Socrates and Euthyphro’s conversations dealing with the definitions of piety and gods opinion. This dialogue begins when Socrates runs into Euthyphro outside the authorities and the courts. Socrates is there because he has been charged with impiety, and Euthyphro is there to accuse his father for the death of a man named Meletus who was a farm hard.

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Euthyphro tries to explain him that he was doing the same as Zeus did to his father and therefore being pious. But Socrates argues that it is just an example and not an explanation. He tries again and says what gods like is pious and what they dislike is not. But Socrates points out the fallacy in that argument that one god might not agree with another to which he replies in his third attempt what all gods like is pious and what they all hate is impious. Here, in this example we can see that how he searches for a concrete and complete definition for being pious.

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Socrates then rebuttals Euthyphro saying what if the Gods don’t agree on if they love it or not. Euthyphro then comes up with the answer saying piety is what all the gods love. From here Socrates asked whether the Gods love the pious because it is the pious, or whether the pious is pious only because it is loved by the Gods. This dilemma presents a problem for

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Socrates asks him to explain the meaning of such a word. Euthyphro first, tells him that “is what he is doing.” But, Socrates replies to him that he wants the meaning and not an example of a pious action. In response to Socrates’ questioning, Euthyphro’s defines piety as “what is dear to the gods” (7a) or

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Socrates raises several questions regarding Euthyphros’ assertion that what is important and sacred to the gods is “good,” and what is not important and sacred to the gods is “bad.” The quote “What is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious,” represents Euthyphros’ opinion regarding what is sentimental and important to the gods is religious and worthy, however what is wrong and sinful is not religious. Socrates asks Euthyphros what would happen if the gods were in conflict, and have differing opinions of what is “good” and what is “bad.” If this were to happen, Socrates wonders, which god would be correct, and which god would determine the final judgment on what is “good” and what is “bad.”

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Socrates as a wise man understands that if someone or something form humans’ personality and views on surrounding, then it means that there is no place for you as a human being; and morality would be no more than just a delusion. Hence, Socrates tries to argue with Euthyphro to find the definition of goodness and asks Euthyphro questions. Euthyphro provides several definitions of goodness such as prosecuting his own father is an act of goodness, but Socrates quickly responses to him that it is only instance but not the definition. Then, he replies to Socrates that goodness is something that is pleasant to gods. However, Socrates is not satisfied with such definition and responses to Euthyphro that many of conflicts exist among the gods and what is pleasant to one god might be unpleasant to another.

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