Euthyphro
Erik Rankin – POL 161 Fall 07
Euthyphro
• Part 1 in the 4 part story of the
trial and death of Socrates
• Who does the dialogue take
place between?
• Where does the dialogue take
place?
• Why are the characters in this
location to begin the dialogue?
Euthyphro
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What is Socrates accused of?
Who is accusing him?
Why is Euthyphro at the court?
Socrates overly flatters Euthyphro
for being the most pious man in
Athens, why?
• What does the word pious mean?
• Does Euthyphro deflect this
flattery?
• Socrates asks Euthyphro for a favor,
what is that favor?
Euthyphro
• How will Euthyphro’s
teaching help Socrates?
• This begins the section where
Socrates and Euthyphro debate
what it means to be pious
• What is Euthyphro’s 1st
definition?
• How did Socrates refute him?
Euthyphro
• Socrates did not agree and asks for a
general definition, one that all things
holy have in common
• Euthyphro makes a new suggestion,
which is what?
• How does Socrates feel about this
definition?
• Euthyphro is getting a bit frustrated
but manages to come up another
suggestion as to the definition of
holiness, which is what?
Euthyphro
• Socrates pulls an interesting
argument and once again
shoots down Euthyphro
• What is holy has the gods
approval because it is holy, so
what is holy determines what
has the gods approval
• Since holiness determines
divine approval, holiness must
be something other than such
approval
Euthyphro
• Euthyphro then suggests that
holiness is a kind of justice
• What kind of justice?
• Socrates of course hammers
this idea as well and
Euthyphro comes up with his
last suggestion
• What is this suggestion?
• Give me Socrates response and
the final outcome of the
dialogue