Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Euthyphro
Euthyphro (/ˈjuːθɪfroʊ/ ⓘ; Ancient Greek: Εὐθύφρων, romanized: Euthyphrōn), is a philosophical work by Plato written in the form of a Socratic dialogue set during the weeks before the trial of Socrates in 399 BC. In the dialogue, Socrates and Euthyphro attempt to establish a definition of piety. This however leads to the main dilemma of the dialogue when the two cannot come to a satisfactory conclusion. Is something pious because the gods approve of it? Or do the gods approve of it because it is pious? This aporetic ending has led to one of the longest theological and meta-ethical debates in history.
Under the government of Pericles, in 447 BC, Athens had established a cleruchy on Naxos, sending 500 Athenian colonists to settle there after they had conquered it in order to help maintain their control over the island. The Athenians were expelled from Naxos in 404 BC, after the defeat at the Battle of Aegospotami, at which point Euthyphro and his father would have been forced to relinquish this land. The dialogue takes place in 399 BC, so Euthyphro's father must have killed the slave in Naxos at least five years ago, and he has been prosecuting his father for some time. As Euthyphro's relatives strongly oppose his prosecution of his own father, it is not unusual that the case has been drawn out for so long. It was claimed in antiquity that after this conversation took place, Euthyphro was persuaded not to prosecute his father, though this claim is not supported by any of Plato's own writings.
Socrates is awaiting a preliminary hearing for his trial for impiety, which is being prosecuted by Meletus. This is the same trial that he will defend himself in during the events of the Apology, set roughly two months later. The events of the Theaetetus are set on the same day as the Euthyphro; at the end of that dialogue, Socrates had said that he was on his way to the preliminary hearing, promising to resume his discussion with Theaetetus the following day. That discussion, portrayed in the Sophist and Statesman, occur on the following day after the Euthyphro.
It is easier to understand Socrates' arguments in this dialogue if the reader keeps in mind that Athenian religion revolved around specific rituals and practices with no reference to sacred scripture, at least in the same sense as later Abrahamic religions. Priests might worship only one specific god while not paying respect to the others. Euthyphro uses Zeus as evidence for his notions of piety while disregarding Uranus and Cronus, for example.[citation needed]
In this dialogue, Euthyphro meets Socrates outside the court of the King Archon, where Socrates is currently waiting to attend to defend himself against the charges of Meletus on the grounds of impiety. Euthyphro faults Meletus for bringing the suit, and tells Socrates that these charges of impiety have resulted because Socrates is always talking about his daemon, the divine sign which warns him of various courses of action, which the Athenians see as Socrates introducing innovations to their religion. Euthyphro then tells Socrates that, as a prophet, the Athenians also laugh at his divinely inspired predictions and call him crazy, even though the predictions all come true.
Euthyphro assures Socrates that he thinks Socrates will defend his case well, and that he believes he will also succeed in his own: he is going to court himself to prosecute his elderly father for murder, because his father bound a worker in chains and left him to die, all despite the fact that his own family believe it is impious for a son to prosecute his father. Socrates is astonished by Euthyphro's confidence, but Euthyphro insists that doing so is pious; as a prophet he would know what piety is. Since Euthyphro seems so assured of himself, and Socrates is facing a trial for impiety, Socrates asks Euthyphro to help him with a definition of "piety" that he can use in his defence.
Euthyphro's first definition of piety is what he is doing now, that is, prosecuting his father for manslaughter. Socrates rejects this definition, because it is only an example of piety, not a universally true definition, something that provides the essential characteristic that makes pious actions pious.
Euthyphro's second definition is that Piety is what is pleasing to the gods. Socrates applauds this definition, because it is expressed in a general form, but criticizes it saying that the gods disagree among themselves as to what is pleasing, so a given action might be both pious and impious at the same time. Euthyphro counters that in his case, the gods would not disagree that someone who kills without justification ought to be punished, but Socrates observes that disputes could still arise over just how much justification actually existed; hence, the same action could be pious and impious.
Hub AI
Euthyphro AI simulator
(@Euthyphro_simulator)
Euthyphro
Euthyphro (/ˈjuːθɪfroʊ/ ⓘ; Ancient Greek: Εὐθύφρων, romanized: Euthyphrōn), is a philosophical work by Plato written in the form of a Socratic dialogue set during the weeks before the trial of Socrates in 399 BC. In the dialogue, Socrates and Euthyphro attempt to establish a definition of piety. This however leads to the main dilemma of the dialogue when the two cannot come to a satisfactory conclusion. Is something pious because the gods approve of it? Or do the gods approve of it because it is pious? This aporetic ending has led to one of the longest theological and meta-ethical debates in history.
Under the government of Pericles, in 447 BC, Athens had established a cleruchy on Naxos, sending 500 Athenian colonists to settle there after they had conquered it in order to help maintain their control over the island. The Athenians were expelled from Naxos in 404 BC, after the defeat at the Battle of Aegospotami, at which point Euthyphro and his father would have been forced to relinquish this land. The dialogue takes place in 399 BC, so Euthyphro's father must have killed the slave in Naxos at least five years ago, and he has been prosecuting his father for some time. As Euthyphro's relatives strongly oppose his prosecution of his own father, it is not unusual that the case has been drawn out for so long. It was claimed in antiquity that after this conversation took place, Euthyphro was persuaded not to prosecute his father, though this claim is not supported by any of Plato's own writings.
Socrates is awaiting a preliminary hearing for his trial for impiety, which is being prosecuted by Meletus. This is the same trial that he will defend himself in during the events of the Apology, set roughly two months later. The events of the Theaetetus are set on the same day as the Euthyphro; at the end of that dialogue, Socrates had said that he was on his way to the preliminary hearing, promising to resume his discussion with Theaetetus the following day. That discussion, portrayed in the Sophist and Statesman, occur on the following day after the Euthyphro.
It is easier to understand Socrates' arguments in this dialogue if the reader keeps in mind that Athenian religion revolved around specific rituals and practices with no reference to sacred scripture, at least in the same sense as later Abrahamic religions. Priests might worship only one specific god while not paying respect to the others. Euthyphro uses Zeus as evidence for his notions of piety while disregarding Uranus and Cronus, for example.[citation needed]
In this dialogue, Euthyphro meets Socrates outside the court of the King Archon, where Socrates is currently waiting to attend to defend himself against the charges of Meletus on the grounds of impiety. Euthyphro faults Meletus for bringing the suit, and tells Socrates that these charges of impiety have resulted because Socrates is always talking about his daemon, the divine sign which warns him of various courses of action, which the Athenians see as Socrates introducing innovations to their religion. Euthyphro then tells Socrates that, as a prophet, the Athenians also laugh at his divinely inspired predictions and call him crazy, even though the predictions all come true.
Euthyphro assures Socrates that he thinks Socrates will defend his case well, and that he believes he will also succeed in his own: he is going to court himself to prosecute his elderly father for murder, because his father bound a worker in chains and left him to die, all despite the fact that his own family believe it is impious for a son to prosecute his father. Socrates is astonished by Euthyphro's confidence, but Euthyphro insists that doing so is pious; as a prophet he would know what piety is. Since Euthyphro seems so assured of himself, and Socrates is facing a trial for impiety, Socrates asks Euthyphro to help him with a definition of "piety" that he can use in his defence.
Euthyphro's first definition of piety is what he is doing now, that is, prosecuting his father for manslaughter. Socrates rejects this definition, because it is only an example of piety, not a universally true definition, something that provides the essential characteristic that makes pious actions pious.
Euthyphro's second definition is that Piety is what is pleasing to the gods. Socrates applauds this definition, because it is expressed in a general form, but criticizes it saying that the gods disagree among themselves as to what is pleasing, so a given action might be both pious and impious at the same time. Euthyphro counters that in his case, the gods would not disagree that someone who kills without justification ought to be punished, but Socrates observes that disputes could still arise over just how much justification actually existed; hence, the same action could be pious and impious.