...can I know about the world if I do not know who I’m”. Then the society says, “know thyself”. These two sayings sound alike but society has something else in mind, know thyself means that you must know your place in society. Socrates wanted people to find out who they were by themselves and not let society tell them who they were. You have to know how you think and act in certain situation to know yourself. Knowing yourself in a sense helps you in fact know the world. Socrates might have believed it takes time to know yourself rather than just saying you know who you are. Therefore, Socrates went out to find an answer to the question “What is X?” Socrates asks the question what is piety to man named Euthyphro. Socrates is looking for the universal meaning of what piety is. Euthyphro thought he knew the answer but no such answer was found for that question. Thus in many efforts like these to find answers to similar question Socrates, began to be disliked by many. In this process, he was undermining society's laws of what...
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...Euthyphro Lisa White PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor: Ian McDougall May 27, 2013 Euthyphro 1- Explain how the concept of holiness emerges in the dialogue and why it takes a prominent position in the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro. In the Euthyphro, the concept of holiness emerges as Socrates and Euthypho are discussing how Euthypho’s father is accused of murder. They start off my discussing if the murder was just or not. If the murder was just then Euthypho has a duty to let the matter be. If the murder was unjust then action should be taken against him. Euthypho then states that “A son is impious who prosecutes a father. Which shows, Socrates, how little they know what the gods think about piety and impiety.” (Plato, ND) After which Socrates questions what piety and impiety means. This then spurs the conversation towards their concepts of holiness. 2- Present the three definitions that Euthyphro uses in his response to Socrates, and then explain how Socrates refutes each of Euthyphro’s definitions. The first definition that Euthyphro uses is that piety is doing as he is doing, by persecuting any one that is guilty, whether it is of murder, sacrilege or anything that is similar to that. He states that impiety is not punishing those that are guilty of murder or sacrilege. Socrates feels that this is not a definition and isn’t dealt with properly. Socrates refutes this by stating those who prosecute are an example of a holy act and not a...
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...Plato, Euthyphro 1. What charges is Euthyphro bringing against his father? Euthyphro is charging is father with murder. Does it seem to you like Euthyphro has a reasonable case? Explain No because Euthyphro did not know the meaning from piety to impiety, he did not really have a statement to charge his farther with murder... 2. Pay attention to tone. How would you describe Socrates’ tone in the first part of this dialogue? You may need to come back to this one after you have read the whole thing. Socrates tone of voice started passive but then it started getting heavy after he found out that Euthyphro did know he was talking about. 3. What are the four definitions of piety/holiness that Euthyphro tries to give to Socrates? (Some interpreters say there are five, what do YOU think?) Euthyphro states that the following means Piety- prosecuting anyone who is guilty of murder, sacrilege, or of any similar crime. Then he goes on by saying that God love is pious and holy, and the opposite, which they all hate, impious. I think the fifth definition Euthyphro states is that piety is what is dear to the gods and impiety is that which is not dear to gods... 4. How does Socrates respond to each of these answers? Socrates stated all the gods hate is impious, and what they love pious or holy; and what some of them love and others hate is both or neither he was trying to say does not mean that is the definition of piety and impiety. Socrates you knew there was a difference between words...
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...In Plato’s “Euthyphro,” Socrates questions a man outside of the courthouse who is turning his father in for illegal activity. Socrates asks him a series of questions that tests Euthyphro’s understanding actions, but moreover Socrates attempts to discover the true meaning of piety, or justice, from what Euthyphro tells him. The line of questioning never really concludes satisfactorily, as Euthyphro excuses himself before Socrates finishes. To many people in this time, this questioning would not only be redundant and ridiculous, but it would also seem ungodly, as if Socrates was questioning the gods themselves when he was dissecting Euthyphro’s understanding of piety. In reality, the reason for Socrates’ questioning was to bring Euthyphro down a peg. Many of the rich, white landowning voters had very self-inflate views of themselves and their understandings of the world. Socrates questioned these inflated men to disrupt their...
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...Should we consider the Euthyphro Dialogue as a dialogue about the proper methods of thinking and understanding? It is a great example of how to think through an idea before you just say something is true or not true. In the end, do you get to a final answer? Maybe not, but you will know that the answers or statement made needs to be studied further. It ask the basic question, definition, then with the answer supplied proceed to question the answer and responses to try and dig to the bottom and find the correct answer or conclude the answer is flawed. Socrates guides Euthyphro from the answer he gives about piety to the end of conversation trying to show that his answer is flawed. He starts with the fact that the answer given is an example...
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...Euthyphro In this essay I will explain the concept of the holiness emerges and why it takes a prominent position in the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro. I will also explain the three definitions that Euthyphro uses in his response to Socrates and then present Socrates’s refutation of each of Euthyphro definitions. Also this essay will test my ability to develop my own argument as to what I think Socrates’s goal is in this dialogue. How do you know that is his goal? What features of the dialogue align his goals? I will also give own definition of piety/holiness and then take on the role of Socrates and respond to my own definition as I think he would. Plato conversation set close to the king Archon court were Socrates and Euthrophy cross words. The conversation surround Socrates trying to understand the concept of how gods see piety and impious in mankind. The debate between Socrates and Euthrophy is that Socrates wants a new form of definition for pious and impious needs to man needs to be judge by man not from god’s justice. The concept of holiness explain how to be devout religiously not the act of being love. The conversation emphasize the true meaning of piety and impiety, and important conversation between Socrates and Euthrophy took place because Socrates does not believe in tales mythology and Socrates would like a more reasonable answer to all his questions. At the end of the conversation both Socrates and Euthrypho concluded that holiness as something...
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...corrupted. But Socrates does not see how he could be the reason for the corruption of the youth because he always claims to not have any knowledge of anything. In Plato’s The Euthyphro, Socrates has a conversation with Euthyphro about what piety and impiety is. Socrates wanted Euthyphro to be his teacher and teach him everything he knows because he claims that he knows all there is to be known about what piety and impiety is. Therefore, Euthyphro teaches him everything that he knows about what it means to be pious and impious. After he starts to explain everything to him Socrates is not satisfied with any of his definitions that he has proposed to him, so Socrates starts to question him even more, and ask for a better definition. This back and forth conversation goes on for a while, and from Socrates questioning Euthyphro so much, Euthyphro himself starts to question everything that he knows about what it means to be pious and impious. Euthyphro was going to prosecute his very own father for unintentionally killed Euthyphro’s slave that killed one of his father’s slaves. After Socrates questioned him so many different times about what it means to be pious impious it seems that Euthyphro has come to the understanding of how prosecuting his own father would be considered impious. I feel that Euthyphro has come to the conclusion...
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...Towards the end of Plato’s dialogue The Euthyphro, Socrates takes the lead in a debate regarding what defines pious action and uncharacteristically gives significant insight to his own thoughts on what he believes piety to be and its relation to justice. As Socrates poses leading questions on the subject, Euthyphro attempts to reach a concrete definition of piety. At one point he comes very close to doing so, but Socrates quickly and perhaps deliberately changes the direction of the argument back towards uncertainty and confusion. As is the case with most of the Socratic Dialogues, The Euthyphro ends before an agreed conclusion is reached. Towards the end of the dialogue Euthyphro has grown weary of the debate. In an attempt to keep the conversation from losing all momentum, Socrates leads him to assert that piety is only a part of the larger set of justice (12d). This means that what is pious is necessarily just, but what is just is not necessarily pious. Afterwards, Euthyphro defines piety as the part of justice “concerned with tending to the gods, while the remaining part of the just if concerned with tending to human beings” (12e). Socrates focuses on Euthyphro’s use of the word “tend”, and uses his typical method of scrutinization to force Euthyphro into a corner. The argument follows that all tending shares the same aim of benefiting the thing being tended. Therefore, a man’s pious action would actually make the gods better. Euthyphro is quick to deny this (13c); he argues...
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...Real Knowledge What is piety? What is holiness? Euthyphro thought he had all the answers. Socrates soon shows him that he does not. By definition impiety is a lack of piety; a lack of reverence for God, ungodliness (Credo, Impiety, 2005). Piety would then be the exact opposite. Piety by definition is irreverence for God, or regard for religious obligations (Credo, Piety, 2005). Holiness by definition is the state or character of being holy (Credo, Holiness, 2005). If you ask me Euthyphro gets it all wrong. Socrates and Euthyphro meet on the porch of King Archon. Both men are headed to court. Socrates has been charged with impiety. These charges against Socrates were brought by a man named Meletus (Plato, 2008). Meletus charges that Socrates invents new gods and denies the existence of the old ones (Plato, 2008). Euthyphro is bringing charges of murder against his father (Plato, 2008). Euthyphro’s father had a man bound and thrown in a ditch, after this man had supposedly killed one of the family’s domestic slaves. The father sends a messenger to Athens to find out what he should do with this man. The man ultimately dies of hunger and exposure before the messenger returns. Socrates believing Euthyphro would not bring such charges against his father unless he was very knowledgeable in the nature of piety and impiety (Plato, 2008). Since Socrates was being charged with piety himself he thought Euthyphro would be able to tech him something that could help him...
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...It is quite obvious from the dialogue, that Socrates counters Euthyphro’s definitions and explanations of piety because he considered them inconsistent and contradictory. He found it absurd that Euthyphro assumed his act of prosecuting his own father, pious. Euthyphro’s view of what was right/acceptable was based solely on his own perspective and not on the bigger picture(society). From Socrates’ surprise, it is evident that prosecuting one’s father or relative was not socially acceptable. This begs the question, ‘how can an act be deemed right based on only one’s justification and not by others?’ Just as Socrates countered a definition of piety by Euthyphro, when he said “piety is that which is dear to the gods and impiety is that which is...
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...1. While Socrates and Euthyphro talk outside the king’s porch, Euthyphro tells Socrates that he is there to accuse his old father for killing one of his employees. Socrates surprised, answers that it should not be an easy task to accuse his own family that perhaps if it were a stranger would otherwise. An indignant Euthyphro replies that it is ridiculous to think if it is family or not, the only thing should be consider is whether the murderer did fairly or not. To this fact, Socrates suspected Euthyphro is a wise man, and possesses knowledge of what is piety and thus makes it known to Euthyphro, to which he affirm that he is, by the grace of Zeus, that this makes him different from the rest of the Athenians. 2. Socrates presses Euthyphro to define what piety is, because despite the multiple attempts, Euthyphro does to define it and does not succeed on his answers. Socrates brings down all his explanations using his dialectic method. Even so Euthyphro insist on knowing what piety is, so Socrates continues to insist and demand a clear proof of what is piety. After several attempts the only thing that he manages to say is, that holy is what he does, when he accused his father of murder. Socrates asked Euthyphro not to taught him one or two holy things, but rather to teach clearly what is what makes things holy, since...
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...Moral Acts One of the most difficult things in life is to determine, as an adult, what might be considered right and morally acceptable. Other situations are more obvious to many and will get the same reaction afterwards. But why are these acts good and moral? The real question is whether morally good acts are willed by God because they are morally good, or are they morally good because they are willed by God? This question was first raised by Socrates to Euthyphro in Plato’s dialogue in 380 B.C. In this essay, I will explain how this question relates to the Divine Command Theory of Morality and attempt to explain how it poses a dilemma within philosophy by contradicting how the logical thinking process works by creating a false dichotomy. To begin, The Divine Command Theory has been a main stay in philosophy since ancient times and has created numerous arguments throughout the ages, some of which are heavily debated till this day. The Divine Command Theory states that actions are considered morally good because they are commanded by God, or more simply phrased by Dale Tuggy in his writing, “to be right is to be commanded by God, and to be wrong is to be forbidden by God” (Tuggy, 53). Since God created the heavens and Earth, according to various religions past and present, God must have created the good will and moral acts. This seems legitimate in all aspects of thinking, especially for the believers in God, but what about the people around the world that do not believe...
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...| Philosophy 101-01 | 9/21/2012 | | The definition of division causes a basis of argument in Plato’s “Euthyphro”. While awaiting trial, Euthyphro explains that he has brought his father in front of the Judge with a murder charge. The idea of bring one’s own father to court brings forth room for debate between Socrates and Euthyphro. The main question being what is the definition of piety? The main reason that Socrates asks this question is so that he can use the answer to defend himself, but while searching for the definition they find much controversy in Euthyphro’s action of bringing his father to court. It is clear that Socrates is looking for a universal definition of piety, in which all actions can be measure to determine whether or not they are pious. In order for the definition to be universal it must express what is essential about the thing being defined. The word piety was defined several ways throughout the reading. At first Euthyphro explains that “piety is what he is doing now, that is prosecuting his father for manslaughter (Plato 5d ).” Socrates disagrees stating that it was not a definition but simply an example of piety and therefore does not provide a fundamental characteristic which makes a pious thing pious. Euthyphro then continues to explain in his second definition that “piety is what is pleasing to the gods (Plato 6e-7a).” Socrates consents to this definition because it is expressed in a general form, but then criticizes it on the...
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...Spring 2012 Due: Week 2 1. Why is Euthyphro going to court? Euthyphro is going to court because Meletucs has an indictment against him. The indictment is for making innovations in religious matters and comes before the court to slander you. Knowing such things are easy to misrepresent to the majority of people 2. What is Euthyphro’s first definition of piety? Euthyphro offers as his first definition of piety what he is doing now, that is, prosecuting his father for manslaughter 3. Does Socrates accept the stories about the gods? No he does not. 4. What is Euthyphro’s second definition of piety? Euthyphro's second definition: piety is what is pleasing to the gods (6e-7a). 5. What is Euthyphro’s third definition of piety? The third definition reads: What all the gods love is pious, and what they all hate is impious 6. What dilemma does Socrates force upon Euthyphro? Socrates asks whether gods love the pious, because it is the pious, or the pious is the pious, because it is loved by the gods (10a)? In other words: do the gods love something because it is pious, or is something pious because the gods love it? 7. What is Euthyphro’s fourth definition of piety? he then points out a little later, this is still not enough for a definition, since piety belongs to those actions we call just or morally good. 8. Does Euthyphro ever adopt the other horn of the dilemma? Suppose we put the Euthyphro dilemma into a monotheistic context. Suppose...
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...Euthyphro- Plato Ashley Weathers PHI 208 Paige Erickson 12/10/2013 Socrates asks Euthyphro once more to give a definition of holiness, since his earlier definition, that what is holy is what is approved of by the gods, does not seem to hold. Euthyphro complains that Socrates makes his arguments go around in circles and never stay in place so that he no longer knows where he stands. Further I will discuss how the concept of holiness emerges in the dialogue, present three definition that Euthyphro uses in his response to Socrates, develop my own argument of what I think Socrates goal is in the dialog. Also I will provide my own definition of piety/holiness. The concept of holiness emerges in the dialogue and why it takes a prominent position in the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro is essentially, the question at hand is whether something is considered holy because it is loved by the gods or if that which spoken of is loved by the gods because it in itself is holy. There are many points where piety/holiness emerges in the dialog. Holiness emerges in one place in the dialog that is most noticeable to me is that Socrates comes to court to make his main point to answer to the charges of impiety and the corruption of the youth of Athens. Socrates and Euthypho are discussing how Euthypho’s father is accused of murder. They start off my discussing if the murder was just or not. If the murder was unfair then action should be against him. “A son is impious who prosecutes...
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