Similarities Between Socrates And Euthyphro

The Euthyphro is an example of early dialogue of Plato's: it is brief, deals with a question in ethics, this is a dialogue which took place between Socrates and Euthyphro who claims to be an expert in a certain field of ethics, which ended prematurely. It is also puzzled with Socratic irony, the irony is present because Socrates is reckoning Euthyphro as the teacher when in fact Socrates is teaching Euthyphro. Socrates poses as the ignorant student wishing to learn from a supposed expert, when in fact he shows Euthyphro to be the ignorant one who knows nothing about the subject on which they are discussing, which is piety and impiety. This setup is necessary in order to encourage Euthyphro to bring forth and evaluate the arguments being formed by him, and thus to lead him to see their faults for himself.

In this interaction, Socrates considers Euthyphro to help in explaining all there is to be known about piety and the related impiety. Euthyphro confirms that he is indeed an expert in the matter relating to religious issues and can thus assist Socrates in the charges that face him. In their argument in the efforts to define the true meaning of piety, Socrates and Euthyphro engage in the analysis of issues that threaten to confuse human understanding about the whole issue of holiness and impiety in the society, (Plato & Gallop, 2008). To understand the true meaning of piety, it is of great importance to take a holistic analysis of the beliefs of the people about

In Plato’s Euthyphro, Socrates and Euthyphro have a battle concerning the definition of piety. Socrates questions Euthyphro on whether or not is possible to have an objective – definite – definition of a concept/object. This came to be known as Euthyphro’s Dilemma. This argument can be clarified as follows; “what is dear to the gods is pious, and what is not is impious”: if an object is God-love, than the object must be loved by all Gods; therefore, pious objects are those that are necessarily loved by all Gods. (10a). The dilemma emanates when one realizes it is God-loved if it is pious, and pious because it is God-loved; in this case, “piety” in itself would be considered irrational in its essence. In this following paper I will explain what can be learned about piety from reading Euthyphro.

When Socrates asked Euthyphro what the meaning of piety is, Euthyphro tells him that, “piety is what the gods love.”(Shafer-Landau 57). This answer leads Socrates into asking, “are acts pious because the gods love them, or do the gods love actions because they are pious?”(Shafer-Landau 57). The issue at hand is Socrates is merely trying to determine exactly what determines if acts are pious or not pious and if there is any relation to the gods. Socrates question is important because if the gods aren’t what determines if acts are pious or not, then there would be no proof as to what is pious and what isn’t. This would mean that each person would have their own justification as to what is right or wrong.

There is no doubt to the fact that Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. had similar characteristics—whether it be their willingness to make the public aware or their passion to do what was right to them. But to say that Martin Luther King Jr. is a twentieth century Socrates does not seem fit to par. The way I will attempt for you to understand this will proceed as follows: I will first explain each of our character’s stories, perhaps heavily implicating some of their most distinct characteristics that can be discovered from the text. I will proceed to include their similarities, as well as their differences. Then I will attempt to explain both subjects’ profession/title, and comment on how the two may have similar things they want to

The question that arises as Euthyphro encounters Socrates at the court of Athens is that of piety. Socrates questions Euthyphro by asking “Is it pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?” (Euthyphro, 10a2). This question comes about through the discussion between Socrates and Euthyphro in regards to the prosecution of Euthyphro’s father due to a crime he committed. This discussion ultimately ends in the departure of Euthyphro due to not being able to come up with a definition that satisfied Socrates.

Next, Euthyphro says that piety is “that which is pleasing to all the gods.” He further explains his father has been charged with murder. All gods are not favorable to those who commit such an act. Socrates argues that there are certain times that murder would be favorable. For example, killing someone in defense of the self. Also, killing someone in the defense of others. A soldier on the battlefield who faces his enemy is not viewed as a murderer but as a hero. The context in which a murder happens is what determines if it is an act that the gods will favor.

After Euthyphro proclaims himself an expert in piety, which also serves as his justification for prosecuting his father, Socrates concurs that piety is of the utmost importance. Socrates claims that if Euthyphro could educate him on what is considered pious, then he could adequately defend himself in his trial that, at least in part, is based on religious

In the book Plato: The Defense of Socrates, Euthyphro, and Crito, Socrates is accused and

Socrates meets Euthyphro outside of the courthouse and begin discussing the nature of impious and pious acts. Euthyphro claims to be an expert on these matters so he agrees to help Socrates understand piety better. Euthyphro’s first definition is “the pious is to do what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer, be it about murder.”(5d) Socrates objects to this saying that this would only counts as an instance of piety, and he is more interested in a universal element of all pious acts. Euthyphro elaborates to say that piety is what all the gods love, and impiety is what all the gods hate. (6e) Socrates rebukes that there are matters that some of the gods love, while other gods may hate. Socrates objects saying that gods disagree on issues, and that

essence or definition] of holiness”. At this point Euthyphro is lost and they agree to not "quarrel" about “what is "dear/loved" by the gods or not”. Socrates try to have Euthyphro explain to him the relationship of piety to justice.

Socrates proceeds to operate under the assumption that all gods hold the same things dear to them. Socrates asks the question, “Are actions pious because they are loved by the gods, or are they loved by the gods because they are pious?” If an action is pious because it is loved by the the gods, the statement that “What is held dear to the gods is pious” is not the form of piety. Simply, being loved by the gods does not give any insight as to why pious actions are pious. There must be a condition that makes an action loved by the gods, and that condition would be the form of piety, not the fact that it is love by the gods.

Euthyphro’s second attempt to define piety is; “What is dear to the gods is pious, and what is not is impious (7a). What he’s saying is that actions that are pleasing to the gods would be pious and those opposed to them are impious. Socrates didn’t agree with this because what’s pleasing to one god isn’t to another, thus piety cannot be simply what is dear to the gods. In the real world, we could apply this to a religion that serves one God, Christianity. By being a Christian we work to live our lives in a positive way by what’s written in the bible. But are our actions pious because God tells us to do so, or does God tell us to do them because they are pious? In comparison to Euthyphro, our actions are pious because God says to do them, while he says if were not pleasing the gods than were not pious. Because we believe that God is omnipotent, we view his work as pious and want to live by his word. Socrates points out that he has yet to answer the question and asks, how can you be so sure that your action is not impious?

Euthyphro considers two kinds of care” 1) the godly and pious care of the gods as part of justice, and 2) the care of men as the remaining part of justice (Grube 12e). Socrates states that care “aims at the good and the benefit of the object cared for” such as the care for horses (Grube 13b). Socrates also says that care is to benefit the gods and make them better.

(13c) In turn, Euthyphro responds that “looking after” involves service to others, and Socrates asks: What is the end product of piety? Euthyphro replies with his earlier (third) definition, that: Piety is what is loved by all the gods.