Euthyphro - Plato

Euthyphro - Plato

Introduction

The Euthyphro dialogue held between Socrates and Euthyphro in Athens outside the old court house. This dialogue is one of the early dialogues written by Plato that happened in 399 B.C. In this dialogue, Euthyphro came to court in order to charge his father of murdering a household slave (Mosser, 2010). The situation led to the well-known dilemma of Euthyphro based upon the modern version of the queries imposed by Socrates. He asked Euthyphro whether every morally good act is the will of God because it is morally good or are they just morally good because they are willed by God.

Discussion

Concept of Holiness and its Prominence in the Conversation

This dialogue develops the concept of holiness which takes an important place during the conversation between the Socrates and Euthyphro. In this conversation, Socrates asked Euthyphro for guidance to describe him the concept of holiness/piety. The dialogue emerges with the background that Socrates believed these teachings will him in his trial. The arguments with Euthyphro, at first, dissatisfied him because according to Euthyphro, holiness concept may act against the offenders (Hardwig, 2007). On the other hand, Socrates believed that apart from the suggestion of persecuting offenders, there are many other holy deeds as well. Owing to these facts and Socrates learned knowledge that he did not know much about piety, he asked Euthyphro for a definite definition of piety which share mutual elements among multiple holy deeds. Socrates argued by saying that Gods often quarrel due to a different level of acceptance and agreeability.

The chief concept of holiness occurred in the conversation after the concept of mutual acceptance among the Gods. Socrates insisted for an explanation to prove that Gods cannot have much equivalency amongst them. Euthyphro further referred that the holiness is a form of justice. This ...