Argument In Euthyphro's Guilty Of His Father

In this paper, I argue that Euthyphro’s defense of his view that his father is guilty of murder is not cogent. I will first present the argument that Euthyphro’s claim against his father is mainly rooted in circumstantial beliefs that can easily be disputed. Secondly, I will prove that Euthyphro is too unreliable of a source for the cogency of his sole account to be convincing. And lastly, I will argue that Euthyphro’s main reason for prosecuting his father does not have to do with his own moral compass, but rather with his own pride and hunger for recognition. As the scene opens on the agora of Athens we are introduced to two legal charges one an indictment, the other a prosecution. While both cases are equally confusing and blurry, Euthyphro, …show more content…
Evidence can come in the form of forensic evidence or witness testimonial, and while forensic evidence paints a more in-depth picture Euthyphro offers none. With no evidence to prove that it was indeed the neglect of his father that led to the murderous slave’s death nor that the slave even was a murderer, the reader relies solely on what Euthyphro says happens. Since our only source of information on what happened is Euthyphro himself, an educated reader/ listener must ask themselves is he a reliable source? I argue that Euthyphro is not a reliable source on which to base our knowledge of the situation. Throughout the dialogue Euthyphro’s reasoning is constantly challenged by Socrates and ultimately always proven illogical. Additionally, Euthyphro consistently proves himself to be arrogant and close minded to viewpoints that are not his own, leading the reader to conclude that he would rather be proven right than have find the truth. With Euthyphro being such an unreliable source of information throughout the essay, it can easily be inferred that his account of his father’s crime contains faulty reasoning doctored to further Euthyphro’s case. With no reliable account of what actually happened and no evidence supporting his claim, Euthyphro’s belief that his father is indeed guilty falls short, just as all his other convictions with Socrates fell