Socrates – The

Euthyphro

Summary

Background Socrates due to appear before the court

Encounters Euthyphro who has gained reputation as religious expert

Laying charge of manslaughter against father

Allowed one of his workers to die without proper care and attention

Worker had killed slave

Father had let him die bound and gagged in ditch

Euthyphro must have clear idea of what is holy and what isn’t

Socratces is facing charge of lacking holiness

Hope Euthrphro might be able to teach him

First Definition

“Well, I say that holiness is what I am doing now,

prosecuting a criminal”

Example – Zeus and Kronos

Refutation: An example not a definition

Second Definition

“What is agreeable to the gods is holy and what is not agreeable is unholy”

Refutation: This is much better, at least it is a general statement from

which he can argue, but objects that Gods hold different opinions. What

one god approves of another disapproves of.

Third Definition

“…that what's holy is whatever all the gods approve of, and that it opposite,

what all the gods disapprove of is unholy.”

Refutation: Complicated argument centred on cause and effect – “Do the gods approve an action because its holy, or is it holy because it is

approved.”

Socrates uses analogy of a carrying to get his point across.

Argues that holiness must become before the approval; in Euthyphro’s third definition it comes after the approval; it is a

consequence of the approval – therefore flawed

Fourth DefinitionSocrates gives this definition – Holiness is a division of

justice, but what precise kind of division is it.

“If what’s holy is a division of justice, it seems that we must then discover the precise kind of division of the just

that is holy”

Just or morally good actions

bravery

truthfulness

holiness

Fifth Definition

“Well, I believe that this is the part of the just which is pious and holy, the one

concerned with looking after the gods…”

Refutation: Socrates objects. ‘Looking after’ implies that performing a holy action would somehow improve the gods –

dangerous (hubris)

Euthyphro claims that caring for gods involves service, like a slave to a master

Socrates questions him on what exactly the end product of this service is

Sixth Definition

“…if one knows how to do and say things gratifying to the gods in prayer and

sacrifice,…”

Refutation: Sacrifice is making a donation to the gods while prayer is requesting something from them. Holiness

is a sort of trading between gods and men.

BUT – What benefit would gods get from trading. Euthyphro replies gratification is what they get

They have come full circle – holiness is what is pleasing or gratifying to the gods (approved)