Plato 's Euthyphro : The Moral Debate Between Euthyphro And Socrates

Socrates and Euthyphro differ from one another whereas Euthyphro is self-confident and certain of his course (4b), Socrates is more uncertain about himself (3d-e). They also deal to society differently and have different approaches to defining piety. Socrates and Euthyphro are similar in that they both stand apart from society. They both go against the norms and believe those who are not just should be penalized and

Euthyphro prosecuted his own father because he believes that a murderer should be punished regardless of the murderer’s reasoning. Euthyphro had no fear of acting impiously in bringing his father to trial. Socrates asks Euthyphro “…is the pious not the same and alike in every action, and the impious the opposite of all that is pious and like itself, and everything that is to be impious presents us with one form or appearance insofar as it is impious?” When asked, “…what is pious, and what the impious…” Euthyphro answers that he believes the pious is prosecuting the wrongdoer even though it is his own father. Socrates then continues to ask Euthyphro what it is he believes what the gods believe is pious or impious. After moments of discussing this question, Socrates and Euthyphro have come to terms that some things are considered just by some gods and unjust by others, and as they dispute about these things they are at odds and at war with each other. Socrates finally asks Euthyphro for proof that the gods would be in favor of him prosecuting his own father. Euthyphro responds saying, “I will show it to them clearly, Socrates, if only they will listen to me.” In response, Socrates says, “They will listen if they think you show them well.” This implies that the gods will only be in favor of Euthyphro’s decision if they like the idea. At this point, Socrates starts to question if things are right because the gods say they are right, or the gods say they are right because they are right. Socrates came to the conclusion that what Euthyphro was saying is that “…the pious and the god-loved were shown not to be the same but different from each other” and then later said, “…what is dear to the gods is the pious.” Socrates was not satisfied with this answer and wanted to start over from the beginning. However, he concludes that he believes that Euthyphro has a clear

However in Plato’s Euthyphro, it can be argued that Socrates plays a similar role. In the Euthyphro, Socrates discusses piety in general and what makes things and people pious. Socrates claims he wants to learn more on the subject so that he may better defend himself against the treasonous charges against him. In a way, Euthyphro represents the traditional Athenian way of thinking. He believes in and supports all of the gods and does not submit to Socrates’ prodding of the subject, although he does walk away from him in frustration at the end of the dialogue. However it can safely be said that most Athenians would agree with Euthyphro’s opinion of the gods and to disagree could most certainly be punishable by law, as Socrates was. Socrates’ search for the definition of piety is a difficult one that tests Euthyphro’s patience and ultimately leaves the characters and the reader without an answer. Every time Euthyphro proposes an answer, Socrates is quick to counter it with some thought. Interpreting Socrates’ tone and meaning here is important. Some may see Socrates to be quite demeaning in these instances, almost teasing Euthyphro because he claims to be so pious yet he cannot even define the word. In this way, similar to Aristophanes’ Clouds, Socrates plays a subversive role in the Euthyphro.

In this paper, I argue that, in Plato’s Euthyphro, Euthyphro’s defense of the view that his father is a murderer is not cogent enough to effectively prove his point. I will present the argument that Euthyphro spends more time talking about himself and his decision to prosecute his father than he does discussing the actual crime. I will then present the argument that Euthyphro does not use specific, factual evidence to bolster his judgement.

In Plato's dialogue, 'Euthyphro', Socrates presents Euthyphro with a choice: `Is what is pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved [by the gods]?'

Greek philosopher Plato’s account of the end of fellow philosopher Socrates’ life in The Trial and Death of Socrates includes a plethora of philosophical theories and ideas, but the one that stands out the most is none other than what is known as the Euthyphro Paradox. Found in the “Euthyphro” section of the book, Socrates brings up the idea of what is actually considered pious, or moral, by asking what exactly makes those things pious in the first place. More specifically, Socrates asks Euthyphro: “Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?” (Plato 11).

Socrates is brought to trail before the citizens of Athens, accused of not recognizing the gods that are recognized by the state. Euthyphro is brought to prosecute his father for murder. Before the trails, they discuss the definition of piety and what the difference is to impiety. Instead of a straight forward answer Euthyphro explains his position on prosecuting his father. Although his father murdered a murderer that fact that Euthyphro knew what his father had done. It would have impious of him to sit back and pretend his father was innocent of such a thing. Euthyphro also discusses the relation to Zeus castrating Cronos for devouring his children. Providing a point that no matter who you are, he who is unjust must get punished. As Socrates finds it difficult to believe such stories his finds himself questioning wether to believe or not. Socrates is in search of a direction definition as to what exactly is piety.

Does morality stem from God? Or does it exist independently of his presence, not subject to arbitrary decisions? The first discussion over these questions appeared in Plato's Euthyphro, in which Plato chronicles the proceedings of a highly repetitive argument between Socrates and Euthyphro, a prophet and holy man, over the nature of piety and holiness. The questions produced in this dialogue have been expanded to remain relevant even in a modern religious context. It has achieved so much fame that the core question presented in this dialogue is now known as the Euthyphro Dilemma. In the dialogue, Socrates presents Euthyphro with a choice, "Is what is holy loved by the gods because it is holy, or is it holy because it is

Socrates was put to death in Athens for subverting the youth of the city. He was indicted by Meletus and awaiting his trail on the porch of the King of Archon when he met Euthyphro. It was at this point he engaged in a debate about piety. In this paper, I will examine that debate and present my own conclusion about its purpose as well as my own definition of piety.

In the Euthyphro, Plato describes the proceedings of a largely circular argument between Socrates and Euthyphro, a self-declared prophet and pious man, over the nature of piety and even of the gods themselves. The issues raised in this dialogue have been reinterpreted and extended to remain relevant even with a modern theological framework, so much so that the central issue is now known simply as ?the Euthyphro dilemma.? This is based on Socrates? two-way choice which he offers in the dialogue:

In his First attempt to justify his actions Euthyphro explains holiness is “what he doing prosecuting a criminal regardless of whether that person is his father, mother or anyone else, but not prosecuting them is in fact unholy”. He also brought the example the story of Zeus one of the gods who indeed imprison his own father for eating his own his sons. Euthyphro try’s to use the story of Zeus to prove to Socrates the similarity of his situation and the gods are

On trial is a man accused of murder and the defendant is Euthyphro’s own father. When Socrates learns this, he is rightfully shocked and astonished that Euthyphro would attempt to ensure the conviction of his father, as any person would. Socrates then asks how and why Euthyphro would do such a thing, to which Euthyphro he says piety is the demands his father’s conviction and punishment because “What is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious,”. Dissatisfied with this response, Socrates questions if something is pious because the gods command it or if the gods command it because it is pious. Euthyphro’s response to this question explains that the gods command an action because it is pious.

Euthyphro is at the court to charge his father with manslaughter, because his father did have the right equipment to protect his workers from different elements. Socrates is astonished about Euthyphro that he's putting his dad to death. The words of Euthyphro : "It's ridiculous, Socrates for you to think it makes any difference whether the dead man's a stranger is a relative...You, see it's impious they say, for a son to prosecute his father for murder. Little they know Socrates about the god's position on the pious and the impious!" Euthyphro wants to teach Socrates what's impiety. If Socrates knows what impiety is, he can use it for his own trial. Socrates wants a universal translation of impiety. Euthyphro first definition of piety is what Euthyphro is doing right now, charging his father with manslaughter. Socrates discards

Socrates was a moral philosopher who was accused of impiety and was about to be tried for a crime, the nature of which no one seemed to understand. The trial and death of Socrates has four dialogs known as the Euthyphro, the Apology, the Crito, and the Phaedo which describes the process of Socrates’ controversial and insightful trial that raises the questions about human morality. Within the story we learned that the relationship between morality and religion might not be as clear-cut as some might think, Socrates forces the witnesses of his trial as well as ourselves to come to conclusions which result in a paradox that conflicts with the individual beliefs of his audience. In the event in which, Socrates poses a question to himself and Euthyphro, an attempt to answer the question "What is piety?" It has a specific tie to the events in “The Trial and Death of Socrates”, for Socrates had been accused of impiety and was about to be tried for the crime of heresy. The Euthyphro dialogue was written twenty-four centuries ago, and its conclusion is devastating for the whole idea that holiness and morality are very well connected. The idea that, “if God does not make something good by commanding it, but rather instead identifies that which is good, what measurement of morality does he use to make this judgment?” If something is right because god commands it, then it follows that something would be just as right if God instructed differently. If god declares that it is right to

pious, but every answer he offers is subjected to the full force of Socrates' critical thinking. Socrates systematically refutes Euthyphro's