14/10/2010 Kevin O.

Funk
Short Essay Phil - 1000 - 1

Euthyphro

The setting of this platonic dialogue between Socrates and the young and opinionated

Euthyphro is in “the hall of the King” CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 . Both are in this place to defend what they believe to

be piety and justice CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 ; for Euthyphro this entails bringing his father to prosecution over

causing the death of Euthyphros hired labourer (who had killed one of Euthyphros slaves)by leaving him

bound in the ditch, without having first consulted an authority concerning the matter. Socrates, on the

other hand has been charged by Meletus of “inventing new gods” and “corrupting the youth”. Socrates

and Euthyphro discuss the charges that are brought by and against them throughout which the issue

turns from the instances of the pious and the just in relation to the offenses, to piety and justice

themselves which underlie their representation in both cases. The shift of focus from concerning what is

“pious” and “just” (which Euthyphro ignorantly takes to be piety and justice themselves) by Socrates is

what reveals the undercurrent of opinion in Euthyphro and Meletus. The ironic ignorance of Euthyphros

bold opinions1 and Socrates’ play on this irony further points out the problems of opinion in regard to

serious charges of piety and justice and the dangers that follow.

The issue of concern in this dialogue is therefore justice and determining the essential character

of piety/impiety CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 , in regards to Euthyphro bringing his father to trial (on what grounds can

such a prosecution be pious?), as well as to Socrates’ trial (is the accusation against him legitimate?), this

however has the underlying power of revealing the dangers of depending on opinion in these matters.

CITATION Kau08 \l 4105

A sort of courthouse for crimes affecting the state religion.
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
Though this is not entirely true, as will be discussed later
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[ CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 ]s.3c- all subsequent citations are from this source, referenced by section number and
letter (s.__)
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
Not simply regarding their instances or determinants “pious” and “just”

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Concerning Piety, Euthyphro defends his opinion by claiming to “understand all these matters

accurately” CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 , this opinion concerning piety is muddled however and ungrounded (or

rather, grounded on the basis of what the powerful (i.e. The gods) do) and this is also why his charge

against his father is highly questionable and dangerous. Throughout the dialogue Euthyphro portrays

himself as being in possession of knowledge above that of man which is supposed to justify his

accusation against his father as pious, although it becomes increasingly evident that he is more

concerned with obtaining others’ high opinion of him, and power.

Some clarification comes when Socrates gets Euthyphro to agree that not all just actions are

pious, but all pious actions are just, meaning that piety is but one part (form) of justice, namely that

which pertains to the gods. CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 Furthermore, Socrates probes the question by regarding our

relation to the gods in sacrifice and praise and questioning the root of piety itself- “what is that grand

CITATION Kau08 \l 4105

result which the gods use our services to produce?” If piety is the art of carrying on

business between gods and men (a science of prayer and sacrifice), then we must ask, what do we have

that the gods need of us that they do not already have? (Honour and praise?) Acknowledging that these

two are acceptable to the gods, Socrates distinguishes that neither however are profitable CITATION Kau08 \l 4105

nor loved by them. In this discussion therefore Socrates points out the simple way people have been

treating the concept of piety and using it at their leisure without giving serious thought as to the source

of what makes all piety pious CITATION Kau08 \l 4105 .

Likewise, in discussing “the just”, Socrates reveals that following the examples of the powerful

does not by default make something exemplary nor just. Power without justice is empty; Euthyphro is

seeking power by using divine arguments/”knowledge” to support a supposed divine cause (upholding

CITATION Kau08 \l 4105

(s.5a)
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
(s.12e)
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
(s.13e)
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
Improve them in any way
CITATION Kau08 \l 4105
(s.6e)

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piety) - this however does not secure justice; as mentioned earlier, all pious actions are just, but not all

just actions are pious. Again Socrates is looking beneath the representation of justice in examples to find

out what common factor they have that make them just. Looking to the gods, Socrates asks what the

gods appeal to in their actions, what standards of justice they are applying, and in so doing suggests that

we need to understand their example more fully than human justice allows us. Justice, like piety has also

been abused by humans and without grounding for what makes justice just. Looking at the examples of

the gods and “just actions” does not on its own reveal the nature of justice, nor the binding/common

characteristic they all hold which make them just.

Both of the previously mentioned threads of justice and piety are woven to reveal the true

nature of opinion. Although opinion may be right or wrong, it ultimately lacks knowledge of what makes

an action the kind it is; it lacks knowledge of all the characteristics that make all of ‘x’ actions ‘x’; the

universal defining coefficient of (in this case) piety and justice. As a result of this lack of knowledge,

opinions can be true but they lead to inconsistencies. Euthyphro embodies the notion of ‘opinion’ in this

dialogue which is further intensified by the ironic boldness he holds for his opinions despite Socrates’

criticisms regarding their basis. Euthyphro remains in his opinions ignorantly and at times defiantly due

to what Socrates recognizes as the desire for power/honor/glory, as well as comfort in relation to others

and our own correctness. In fearing to confront the ignorance we have regarding things, Socrates

further emphasises the recognition of the place fear of death and how it further allows us to be content

in our opinions.

The importance of discussing these topics brought up in this dialogue are various and far-

reaching. Euthyphros charge is obscene and extravagant- this boldness of confronting what is generally

considered impious (bringing ones father to trial) by suggesting a higher understanding of piety and

justice is a great challenge. If Euthyphro cannot support his accusations by anything other than mere

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examples or references to just and pious instances he is in fact throwing himself into something that is

not only impious, but offensive, unjust, and dangerous. This is why Socrates is so adamant in finding out

what the nature of justice and piety are, beyond examples and instances; without an understanding of

these essences of justice and piety one cannot subject oneself as having truth or knowledge, but rather

mere opinions only.

It is somewhat tricky to determine if Socrates truly believes he can find the root of piety and

justice from Euthyphro due to the immense contrast between Euthyphros ignorance concerning the

weakness of his opinions and the Socratic irony of knowing that these concepts are far more complex

than many take them to be. It does however seem that Socrates is making use of this dialectic method

of discussion to extract from Euthyphro the nature of opinion and its pointlessness apart from what can

be grounded in truth. Socrates is in a position in which he is charged on the basis of common opinion-

Meletus is still young (as he points out in 2c-3b) and only accuses Socrates on the basis of what has been

said about philosophers in general. This questioning of Euthyphro therefore could be seen as a pre-

amble to his trial and defence to these opinions.

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Bibliography
Walter, Kaufmann. From Plato to Derrida. Fifth Edition. Edited by E Forrest Baird. New Jersey: Pearson
Prentice Hall, 2008.