Reflection Of The Euthyphro

The Euthyphro was written by Plato, who is widely regarded as the father of philosophy. While Plato is the author several famous philosophical dialogues, the actual subject of the works is Socrates. It is through Plato’s dialogues that we learn Socrates’ philosophy, since he himself did not write anything. It is important to note that Plato’s first several dialogues, the Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito for example, concern the trial and execution of Socrates. Many of Plato’s dialogues, like the Euthyphro, are named after a character that Socrates converses with. They also deal with big philosophical questions, the Euthyphro asks the question of what holiness is, and discusses the nature of holiness. Specifically, whether something is holy because …show more content…
Socrates meets him outside the Athenian court. Socrates tells him that his business is a matter of “criminal prosecution.” (2A) He explains that he has been accused by a man named Meletus for corrupting the youth, and inventing new gods while not acknowledging ones that exist. Socrates asks Euthyphro what brings him to court, and he responds that he is there to Prosecute his father with murder. This shocks Socrates, because to accuse one’s father is a very bold move. But Euthyphro is a self-proclaimed expert in these areas of what is the pious thing to do, and he believes that prosecuting his father is the pious and holy thing to do. Socrates asks Euthyphro if he could teach him about these holy …show more content…
Euthyphro’s first answer is that what is holy is what he is doing. Prosecuting the wrongdoer. Socrates response is that he tells Euthyphro that he has not properly answered the definition of holiness. This is the first of several different answers that Euthyphro gives Socrates’ question on holiness. After Socrates’ rejection of Euthyphro’s first definition, Euthyphro posits that “what is pleasing to the gods is holy, and what is not pleasing to them is unholy.” (7A) This definition excites Socrates, and we’ll see that our main question of whether something is holy because it is pleasing to the gods or if something is pleasing to the gods because it is holy. Socrates finds a major issue with this, because the gods do not always agree on values, such as holiness, and so some acts have the potential to be pleasing to some gods and not others. According to Euthyphro’s definition, there is going to be some things that are considered both unholy and holy at the same time. Euthyphro responds by saying that something like murder is not disagreed upon by the gods. To this Socrates comments that no wrongdoer argues that he should not be punished for acting unjustly, but instead argues that no unjust act was committed. Euthyphro cannot prove that the gods will approve of a specific murder. Euthyphro changes his answer to say that “holiness is what the gods all love, and its opposite is what the gods all hate,