Plato’s Euthyphro
PAR 101: Invitation to Philosophical Thinking
Walter Thomas Schmid, Ph.D.
Philosophy and Religion, UNCW
Plato’s Euthyphro
• Philosophical drama= set in Athens in 399 BC
• Characters
– Socrates, famous philosopher
– Euthyphro, “Mr. Orthodox”
• Background:
– Greek polytheistic religion
– Socrates accused of impiety by Anytus and Meletus
– Euthyphro charging his father with ‘pollution’,
religious crime
Euthyphro
– PROLOGUE: context for the
discussion, inquiry
– LOGOS: moral inquiry: What is
X?  elenchus
– EPILOGUE: what does
Euthyphro do, after the elenchus
& discovery of ignorance?
Ancient and Modern
What is it, to be ‘truly
religious’?
• Preacher Euthyphro
claims ‘divine wisdom’
• But does he have it?
How could one know?
• Philosopher Socrates is
skeptical—does this
mean he is sacreligious?
Socratic Inquiry
(Starts from a real situation)
1. Seeks real definition of a
moral concept, e.g. What is
X? (What is piety? justice?)
2. Examination of defn 
refutation through selfcontradiction(elenchus)
3. Progress  more insightful
definitions
4. Ends in perplexity (aporia),
should  realization by the
interlocuter he doesn’t know,
begin search for wisdom.
What is a “real definition”?
Verbal Definition
• Dictionary meaning –
how different people
understand it
• More than one meaning
• May not apply to all
instances
• May not state essence
• Disagreement is normal
Real Definition
• Normative meaning—
how all people ought to
understand it
• One true meaning
• Applies to all true
instances
• States essence
• Idea of universal agreement
Definitions in Euthyphro:
to hosion (the ‘truly religious’) is:
1. Prosecuting the wicked (5d)
2a. What is loved by or dear to the gods (7a) 
2b. What is loved by/dear to all the gods (9e)
3a. Caretaking of the gods (12e) 
3b. Serving the gods, as servants to lords(13d)
4.  Know how to pray and sacrifice (14c)
Critical discussion: defns 1, 2a
= One type of PACT
wicked (5d)
= Contradictory, 
2a. What is loved
theological
problem
by or dear to the
of conflicting gods
1. Prosecuting the
gods (7a) 
Critical discussion:
2b. What is
loved by or
dear to all
gods (9e)
not = essence;
puzzle of Divine
command
morality
Puzzle about what’s right
• When questioned in
court, the man said he
was ordered by God to
plant the bomb.
• Didn’t he know it was
wrong? the prosecutor
asked.
• “It can’t be wrong if
God commands it,” he
answered. “Whatever
God commands is right,
because He commands
it.”
Divine Command Theory
X is right b/c God commands it. But how
can this be?
• If you say, “It is right because God wills
it,” then it is arbitrary what God wills
• If you say, “God has a reason to will it,
we just don’t know what it is,” then it is
not right because He wills it, but for that
reason
Theological
Voluntarism vs. Rationalism
• “It cannot be that
• “It cannot be right
God wills it because
because God wills
it is right. For then
it: for then if He
what is right would
changed his mind,
be above God and
what is right today
God would not be
could be wrong
all-powerful!”
tomorrow!”
Critical discussion:
3a. Caretaking of the
again theological
problem
gods (12e) 
3b. Serving the gods, as What good do gods
servants (13d)
want us to bring about?
What should we pray
4.  Know how to
pray and sacrifice
for, what should we
(14c)
give in return?
Critical discussion:
1. Prosecuting the wicked (5d)
2a. What is loved by or dear to
the gods (7a) 
2b. What is loved by/dear to all
the gods (9e)
3a. Caretaking of the gods
(12e) 
3b. Serving the gods, as
servants to lords(13d)
4.  Know how to pray and
sacrifice (14c)
= not universal defn
= contradictory  theological
problem
not = essence; problems of
Divine command” morality
= again implicit theological
problem
= “What good do gods want us
to bring about?
= but what should we pray for,
how should we give back?
Critical discussion
• Is there an answer to the question, “What is it,
to be ‘truly religious’?
• Does the Euthyphro show us how to go about
thinking about the question?
• What does the Euthyphro tell us, if anything,
about the relation of philosophy/reason and
religion/faith?
• What do you think of Socrates’ method? For
teaching? for inquiry and discovering truth?
Appendix
What is ‘truly religious’?
• You and a friend watch
a public speaker. He is
quoting the Bible, and
attacking the sex life of
students—saying they
will “go to hell” for
“fornication” and “lust.”
Walking away, your
friend says, “Boy, is he
religious.” You’re not so
sure—is he?
What is ‘religious?
• Later the same day, you
and another friend are
in a poor area, where
you see a nun helping
in a clinic for children.
“Look at her,” your
friend says. “Now that
is really religious.” Do
you agree?
What is “religious”?
• You and your friend
agree “there are many
different religions, and
different ways of being
religious.” Your friend
adds, “In fact, ‘being
religious’ is just
believing in some
absolute, having faith in
something more than
just personal choice.”
What is “religious”?
• But another friend says,
“You have to distinguish
genuine religion and
idolatry or powerworship. You aren’t truly
religious unless you
have the true concept of
God. Being truly
religious is like being
holy or pure: you have to
be inspired by the right
spirit and ideas.”
Socratic Exercise
• Consider for a few minutes what ‘moral quality’ you
would like to try to define
• We will then break up into groups in which you:
– Each offer a tentative definition of the quality
– Discuss pros and cons of the definition
– Work toward a consensus definition, including WHY you
rejected other definitions
– Discuss WHY understanding this quality is important, if
you want to live a good life
– Have a spokesperson present your findings to the class and
answer questions.