Discussion Questions

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Socrates (c. 470-399 BC)
Plato (c. 429-347 BC)
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Platos Euthyphro Discussion Questions

• 1. What are Euthyphros various attempts to
  define holiness and what are Socrates objections
  to these definitions? Who gets the better of the
  argument?
• 2. What difference does it make whether the holy
  is loved by the gods because it is holy, or holy
  because it is loved?
• 3. What is the relationship between fear and
  shame? How does the relationship between fear and
  shame apply to the definition of holiness?
• 4. If no satisfactory definition is proposed,
  what is the use of the entire discussion in this
  dialogue?
• 5. Does Euthyphro make any good points throughout
  the dialogue?

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Euthyphro What is the holy?

• Or, how can an ethical/religious concept be
  defined?
• Def.1 the holy is just what Im doing now
  prosecuting wrongdoers (p. 5)
• Def.2 what is agreeable to the gods is holy
  (p. 7)
• Def.3 the holy is whatever all the gods love
  (p. 52)

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The Euthyphro Problem

• Is the holy loved by the gods because it is
  holy? Or is it holy because it is loved. (p. 10)
• Is the good commanded by God because it is good,
  or is it good because it is commanded by God?
• Whats the difference?
• One of them is lovable because they love it,
  whereas the other they love for the reason that
  it is lovable. (p. 12)

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Divine Command Theory

• If something is holy or good because of Gods
  love or command, then
• 1. divinity is omnipotent and creates moral
  values (implication that without divinity no
  right and wrong)
• 2. moral values are arbitrary, i.e., they depend
  on Gods will and preferences (Which God? How can
  we know Gods will? Can anything be good? Does it
  makes sense to claim that God commands rightly?)

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Natural Law Theory

• If God loves or commands something because it is
  holy or good, then
• 1. values of right and wrong are absolute and lie
  outside of Gods command
• 2. values determined by Natural Law of Reason
  that even God must conform to (implication is
  Gods not omnipotent or even significant and
  morality is accessible to human reason)

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What is the relationship between fear and shame
and how does it apply to defining the holy?

• Def.4 the part of what is just that is pious
  or holy has to do with ministering to the gods
  (p. 14)
• Def.5 expertise in sacrifice and prayer (p.
  16), a sort of skill in mutual trading between
  gods and mankind (p. 16)

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What are we to conclude from this dialogue?

• The holy/piety (and perhaps any other ethical or
  religious conceptperhaps religion itself!)
  cannot be defined it remains an open question.
• Perhaps we can conclude that how we should behave
  towards the gods is not worth speculating about
  at all.
• The pious (good or right) life cannot be known by
  reason and communicated.
• Can it be known another way?
• Are we to conclude that religion is a matter of
  subjective inwardness?

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A Method for Defining a Concept

• A definition is not an example.
• A definition involves the substance/essence/eidos
  of a thing, not a property or attribute.
• A definition should be both general and specific
  (genus species).

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• http//socrates.clarke.edu

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