Comparing Socrates And Euthyphro's Dilemma

In Plato's dialogue, Euthyphro, and exchange takes place between Socrates and Euthyphro famously known as Euthyphro's Dilemma. Socrates is on his way to court and runs into Euthyphro on the way. After telling each other the reason for them being there, they have a discussion on the nature of piety. Socrates asks, “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?” This dialogue is typical of Plato’s early dialogues in which Socrates, using the Socratic Method, searches for a universal truth/definition of ethical terms.
Socrates tells Euthyphro that he is being prosecuted by Meletus because he believes he is corrupting the youth. Meletus explanation states he corrupts the youth because he doesn’t believe in the old gods of Athens and makes up new gods. Socrates now wonders why …show more content…
Socrates asks if Euthyphro believes these stories about the gods and that they war and fight amongst themselves. Euthyphro agrees and asks, “What is dear to the gods is pious.” Socrates responds, the pious and the impious are different and opposites. They agreed prior that the gods fight and do not agree.
Socrates refers to the case they previously spoke about and says some gods might find Euthyphro’s actions to be just unjust. Euthyphro insists that whoever “has killed or done anything unjustly should pay the penalty” which leads to Socrates asking if he's ever heard of someone saying that a person who does something unjustly shouldn’t pay the penalty. Euthyphro says yes, and agrees that the wrongdoer should be punished but not everyone agrees on what is wrong and what is right. Socrates asks if there is proof that all the gods agree that his father killed the servant unjustly. He believes this will not help him understand what piety is and asks Euthyphro if he wishes to change his definition to say that what all the gods love is pious and what all the gods hate is