Socrates And Euthyphro: Court Of King Archon

The Euthyphro is a dialogue between the Greek philosopher Socrates and Euthyphro, set in the court of King Archon. Euthyphro is a local townsperson known to Socrates. Euthyphro is a zealot, appearing before the court to prosecute his father on charges of murder. Euthyphro’s father killed Euthyphro’s slave after the slave killed the father’s slave. Socrates happens to be at court the same day as Meletus lays charges on him of atheism and demonism. Here he runs into Euthyphro and they stop to talk about their cases. Socrates is particularly interested in Euthyphro’s case as Euthyphro contends that he must hold his father accountable for his impiety. Socrates starts questioning Euthyphro on the definition of piety, which he will never be able to answer.

Euthyphro’s initial argument is that he must bring his father to justice as he has acted impiously. Socrates then questions what piety is exactly. Euthyphro defines piety as prosecuting religious offenders and impiety as not persecuting these people. He uses Zeus to back his point. When Zeus felt his father, Cronus, had acted unjustly, he fettered him. When Cronus felt Uranus had acted unjustly, he castrated him. This only creates more questions, but the biggest problem is that this is an example, Euthyphro has defined piety as his current action. Is piety only prosecuting religious offenders? Euthyphro concedes that there are many pious deeds, therefore this definition isn’t broad enough. Euthyphro’s definition should apply to all piety. Additionally, he pulls his reasoning from Greek mythology, which Socrates especially doesn’t necessarily hold as truth. So, Socrates asks again, not for an example of piety, but rather for the form or nature of piety