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The Euthyphro dilemma essay
The Euthyphro dilemma essay
The Euthyphro dilemma essay
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The Euthyphro dilemma essay
The Euthyphro dilemma essay
The Euthyphro dilemma essay
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Recommended: The Euthyphro dilemma essay
Socrates’ position towards the authorities was inconsistent in The Euthyphro and The Crito. He questioned the authority in The Euthyphro but defended and obeyed it in The Crito. In The Euthyphro, Socrates had a dialog with Euthyphro who claimed to be an expert on the subjects such as holiness, Gods, piety, justice, etc. Socrates began his philosophical debate by asking Euthyphro to define piety and impiety.
Socrates and Euthyphro’s conversation is centered on what is pious and impious and this is what their entire conversation consists of. Socrates is using his great wisdom to teach Euthyphro about piety and impiety. Socrates said, “The Athenians, it seems to me, may think a man to be clever without paying him much attention, so long as they do not think that he teaches his wisdom to others. But as soon as they think that he makes other people
Piety is a difficult word to understand and define. In Plato’s Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, he brings up a dialogue that rings true even today. The question of what piety is, and how can one fully understand so they can thereby live piously. Socrates rejected Euthyphro’s definition of piety as “what is dear to the gods” because this definition was vague, and did not truly explain what piety was and because as the gods are beyond understanding and are ununified, there is no exact set of what they hold dear. Socrates has many problems with Euthyphro’s definitions, because he is looking for Euthyphro to give him an accurate definition, while Euthyphro fails to give a proper definition.
In the Euthyphro debate we witness Socrates encountering Euthyphro outside of the Athenian court. Socrates has been brought to court for being charged of impiety while Euthyphro has decided to come to court to prosecute his own father. Socrates decides to make a game of this, stating that Euthyphro must be a master in all things religion if he has decided to prosecute his own father. Euthyphro agrees that he does know about all things holy and Socrates decides to listen, hoping that it may help him in his trial against Mellitus. While Euthyphro lends Socrates a few of his perspectives on what holy truly is Socrates has two main proposals against what he has to say.
In Euthyphro, Plato’s method of arguing obliviously proves the point that evidence and a clear thought out explanation is needed when trying to describe and explain the difference between two things—especially when involving right and wrong. Although it helps to prove it and make you truly think about the definitions as well as how to describe it, for the person, in this case Euthyphro, on the other side of the argument it can be very annoying; because you explain one thing and then are questioned and have to explain more or then you being to questioned on your own thinking making you have to restart. It is in a way similar to now how little kids go through a phase were they ask “why” to anything and everything; typically the one being questioned
He does as such for a few reasons. In any case, he doesn't trust that one's obligation toward a perfect being ought to be viewed as something that is partitioned and particular from his obligation toward his kindred men. In actuality, he holds that the main genuine method for rendering administration to God comprises in doing what one can to advance the good and otherworldly improvement of people. Second, Socrates respects the reason and capacity of religion as something that is unique in relation to the view communicated by Euthyphro. Rather than religion being utilized as a sort of hardware or gadget for getting what one needs, as was valid for Euthyphro's situation, Socrates trusts the basic role of genuine religion is to carry one's own life into amicability with the will of God.
Midterm Short Essay (Question 2) Socrates objects to Euthyphro’s definition of piety because according to the two premises agreed by Euthyphro, pious is not equal to the god-loved. In the dialogue when Socrates wants to explain the reason the Euthyphro, Socrates says, “So it is in the same case as the things just mentioned; it is not being loved by those who love it because it is something loved, but it is something loved because it is being loved by them?” (10d).
The second definition of pious, presented by Euthyphro, is that which is pleasing to the gods (Plato 12). This is very similar to the first definition Euthyphro answered with. Socrates notices that this definition still does not make any assertion about what is actually pious, instead shifting the focus from what is loved to what is pleasing. Euthyprho thus far has not provided any definition, instead offering examples of what he views as pious and impious. Socrates is still asking extensive questions because he wants Euthyphro to provide a more fundamental understanding of what piety is.
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.
In Euthyphro, Socrates is having a discussion with Euthyphro about piety and impiety. Eventually, Socrates asks Euthyphro for the definition of piety. Euthyphro responds with his definition of piety and impiety: “Piety, then, is that which is dear to the gods, and impiety is that which is not dear to them.” Socrates does not approve
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
The Euthyphro dilemma then arises as Socrates presents a careful argument to portray the two cannot be the same, as what is pious is not equivalent to what is loved by all the gods. Following this reasoning, the two determines the pious is beloved by the gods because it is holy, and the other is it is holy because it is beloved of the gods. Then, Socrates suggests to Euthyphro the dilemma given his definitions because when asked about the essence of piety, he has given the characteristics only and not the nature of
In saying that Euthyphro didn’t answer his question, Socrates was essentially asking yet again for him to clarify
His goal was to make the court understand his beliefs prove which type of knowledge is worth knowing. When talking about the wise man he examined, Socrates said, “Neither of us actually knows what Beauty and Goodness are, but he thinks he knows, even though he doesn’t; whereas I neither know nor think I know.” This shows that Socrates proved he was more wise than the titled wise man because instead of faking the knowledge, that wasn’t too important, he accepted that he did not know which would result in him then seeking for
In the first dialogue, Euthyphro, Socrates questions what is the true meaning of piety, to