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Piety In Socrates 'Euthyphro At 12a'

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“And is then all just pious? Or is all that is pious just, but not all that is just, but some of it is and some is not.” This is the question that Socrates asks Euthyphro at 12a. In Socrates search for truth he questions what part of piety belongs to justice or what part of justice belongs to piety. To clarify that there is a distinction Socrates uses a quote from a poet, “You do not wish to name Zeus, who had done it, and who made all things grow, for where there is fear there is also shame.” Socrates argues that people can fear disease and poverty but not necessarily be ashamed by their illness or economic status. This could also be the case with piety and justice. There could be justice where there is no piety and there could be piety where …show more content…

In this relationship there is no connection, all acts of piety would be purely pious with no justice, and just acts would not be pious. this relationship cannot be true because actions such as, charity and caring for the gods creation, are both pious and just and. This relationship would not allow for such action.
The second possible relationship then would be, all just actions are pious and all pious acts are just. This association fails to allow any action to be purely just or purely pious. human sacrifice and praying, under this relationship would be not only pious but also just. On the other hand, stopping at red light, and following the speed limit would be pious acts. There are acts that are done because they are loved by the gods and there are many other acts that are done simply because they are fair. This relation is not possible.
Justice and piety are equal with some overlap. This bond seems to satisfy all the previous dilemmas. it would allow actions like charity to be part of both and actions like stopping at red light and human sacrifice to be exclusively either just or pious. This correlation states that there would be actions that are just but not necessarily pious. on the other hand, it also implies that there are unjust actions that are truly pious. This relationship is problematic because the gods love the just yet this this bond allows for the gods to love the unjust because the gods love pious and some pious actions would be

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