Euthyphro's Response To Socrates

Words: 849

Pages: 4

Open Document

Plato details how Euthyphro correlated common thoughts, feelings or logic as corresponding to matters of Athenian or Greek religious beliefs at the time. However, the wondrous learning, as drawn out of Euthyphro by Socrates, is that unlike his counterpart [Euthyphro], Socrates was enforcing his own manner of wisdom, if not skepticism, and that he was preparing both his own defense as well as empowering Euthyphro with a logical basis by which to either proceed with, or rescind in full, the charges against his father based on the logic presented by Plato thus far. (Jowett, 2008) When pressed by Socrates regarding Euthyphro’s self-alleged or perceived sacred duty to the gods, Euthyphro responds by attempting to justify his positions by …show more content…
First, Socrates challenges Euthyphro that inherent within divine obedience comes an inherent lack of respect for parents, something of which Douglas Linder, author of The Trial of Socrates, calls “The ultimate command of divine law is unconditional respect for parents.” (Linder, 2002, p. 2) Socrates also maintains that an adherence to the gods does not necessarily mean that this adherence must also satisfy man, thereby telling Euthyphro that his interpretation of divine law compelling prosecution of the wrongdoer no matter whom he might be is faulty at best. (Jowett, …show more content…
And, as Socrates suggests, would not piety require a misplaced sense of submission if anything else? He states, “…piety excludes moral excellence in the sense of ancient virtue ethics. Piety would be then something like a blind obedience to the capricious dictates of the gods, whereas morality requires autonomous decision making and free use of critical intelligence.” (Jowett, 1868, p. 14) In other words, to hold true to piousness, or

Euthyphro and Piety Essay

characters, Socrates and Euthyphro. Socrates permits us to survey the ways in which decisions are formed for what purpose. Socrates and Euthyphro are discussing Euthyphro and why he is bringing his father to court to prosecute him for murder. They were talking about if the murder was just or unjust. Euthyphro is prosecuting his father, because he feels like it is pious to do so; however Socrates challenges us both the reader and Euthyphro to examine how piety is defined. Socrates question, what…

Words 1675 - Pages 7

Socrates Piety Analysis

When Socrates asks, “what is piety” to Euthyphro, he is asking what makes pious actions pious (6,d). First, the conversation begins because of Socrates’ surprise over Euthyphro’s plan to prosecute his father for murder (3,b). However, Euthyphro believes that being pious means to act justly and being impious means to act unjustly and it does not matter who the person is that is being punished for the action (4,b). However, Socrates considers if different Gods could hold different opinions than other…

Words 545 - Pages 3

Euthyphro's Definition Of Piety

before the trial of Socrates around 399 BCE. During this Socrates and Euthyphro tries to find a definitive meaning for the word holiness (or Piety). The argument of the Euthyphro is to offer a proper definition of piety. This is a result of the fact that Euthyphro wants to answer Socrates’ question of “what is piety?” Socrates is simply looking for a universal describer: what do pious things have in common that can be used to identify them. In this paper, I will describe Euthyphro’s idea of how ‘pious’…

Words 1495 - Pages 6

Euthyphro Vs Socrates

The primary philosophical issue about which Socrates and Euthyphro are in disagreement was the nature of the holy or the nature of the piety. Socrates asks “What sort of thing would you say that the pious and the impious are, whether in murder or in other matters? Isn’t the holy itself the same as itself in every action?” (p7, 5c11- 5d2). Socrates was seeking essential knowledge, seeking to know the inner nature of what is holy, not what it is like, not someone else’s opinion about it, but what is…

Words 666 - Pages 3

Euthyphro Essay

Analysis of Euthyphro 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. Holiness, or piousness, is the center of the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro. Both of the…

Words 1289 - Pages 6

Essay on What Is Piety

were responsible for all the prosperity the city of Athens and its people. For a select and sometime secret few, this way of life did not prosper in their beliefs. In Euthyphro, a conversation took place between Socrates and Euthyphro relating to his three definitions of piety. Socrates, a philosopher seeking inquiry and on a quest, initiates the topic of piety after Euthyphro states he is prosecuting his father. He gives 3 definitions of piety in The Apology. His first definition of piety was…

Words 1640 - Pages 7

Chapter 14 Refutation 1 Essay examples

Chapter 14 Refutation in Practical Reasoning In sound reasoning the conclusion you infer must follow from the premises. If the reason is inductive, this means that its conclusion must follow with a degree of probability that makes it reasonable to believe (and act on) the conclusion. If the reasoning is deductive, the conclusion must necessarily follows from the premises. That is, the argument must be formally valid—have a valid form—and therefore avoid formal fallacies such as those discussed earlier…

Words 3676 - Pages 15