W4: Philosophical Analysis and Reflection, Euthyphro 1.
Euthyphro is at the court because he is prosecuting his own father for murder. Socrates asks him about piety because Euthyphro claims to be knowledgeable about piety and religious matters, which makes Socrates curious to learn from him. 2. Euthyphro initially defines piety as prosecuting the unjust individual who has committed murder or sacrilege, and impiety as not prosecuting them. However, Socrates rejects this definition because it merely provides examples of piety without offering a general understanding of what makes an action pious. 3. Euthyphro then suggests that piety is what is pleasing to the gods, and impiety is what is not pleasing to them. Socrates rejects this definition because it leads to a circular argument where the gods' preferences are not clearly defined, and actions can be considered pious or impious based on arbitrary whims of the gods. This relates to the question of just and unjust war as understood by the chorus in Aeschylus's Agamemnon because it highlights the subjective nature of determining what actions are just or unjust based on divine approval. 4. On page 12, Socrates questions Euthyphro about his certainty in prosecuting his father. Euthyphro confidently asserts that he knows what he is doing, but Socrates points out that true wisdom lies in recognizing one's ignorance. Euthyphro makes a mistake by assuming he knows the nature of piety definitively, demonstrating his overconfidence and lack of true understanding. 5. At the end of the dialogue, Socrates and Euthyphro do not settle on a definitive definition of piety. Instead, the dialogue leaves the question of piety unresolved, suggesting that it is a complex and elusive concept. This dialogue shows the limitations of human knowledge and the importance of humility in the pursuit of wisdom.
