Mark Pursley
PLATO’S EUTHYPHRO
Purposes: To analyze Piety.
 To vindicate Socrates from the charge of
impiety.
 To critique the concept of piety found in
traditional Greek theology.
 To show that the Socratic practice of
philosophy displays true piety.
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WHAT IS PIETY?
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Def. I: Doing what I am
doing; prosecuting
anyone guilty of
murder, sacrilege, etc.
whether it’s your father,
mother, or whoever.
Appeal to divine
precedent.
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Socrates responds: Do you
really believe these things
are true? Moral blindspots
in ancient scriptures. If an
ancient text condones evil or
condemns behavior that is
morally neutral, how can we
treat it as a source of moral
authority?
Def. 1, not a true definition, gives a
particular example not a universal
formula.
BLIND SPOTS AND HALLUCINATIONS
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The “ban”- holy war in
Israel.
Slavery
Status of women
Homosexuality
Anti-Semitism
Child abuse
The environment
Exclusivism
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Ritual purity
Menstruation
Blends
Dietary laws
DEFINITIONS 2 &3
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Piety is that which is dear to
the gods, and impiety is that
which is not dear to them.
Problem of divine discord,
dear to Zeus, but not to
Chronos.
All the gods agree with me!
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Religious Epistemology
Problem What proof have
you that in the opinion of all
the gods....?
Def. 3: What all the gods
hate is impious, and what
they love is pious or holy.
PROBLEMS FOR DEF. 3
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Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is
it pious because it is loved by the gods?
A: Killing is wrong because God says “Thou shalt not
kill.” or B: God says “Thou shalt not kill” because
killing is wrong.
Piety is not equivalent to loved by the gods. An
attribute, but not the essence of piety (the essence
will reveal why the gods love piety).
Aporia, puzzlement. Euthyphro’s arrogance exposed
as ignorance.
SOCRATES TAKES THE LEAD: JUSTICE AND PIETY
COMPARED.
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Relation between
Justice and piety: All
just acts are pious or All
pious acts are just?
J
P
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Def. 4: Piety or holiness
is that part of justice
which attends to the
god’s, as there is the
other part of justice that
attends to men.
Service benefits, how
can we benefit the gods?
PIETY: HELPING THE GOD’S ACHIEVE THEIR
AIMS.
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It’s the sort of service that servant’s show their
masters.... A sort of ministration (huperetike) to the
gods. A craft or skill that has an aim.
What is that fair work which the gods do by the help of
our ministrations?
E: Many and fair are the works they do.
S: Chief or principal thing they use us for?
DEFINITION 5 REDUCED TO DEF. 3
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Def. 5: Piety or holiness
is learning how to
please the gods in word
and deed, by prayers
and sacrifices. Such
Piety is the salvation of
families and states.
Why did you turn aside?
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Prayer= asking the gods for
things; sacrifice= giving the
gods things. (What can you
give a god?) Bartering skill?
Tributes of honor and what
pleases them.
Pleasing but not beneficial?
PLATO’S CRITIQUE OF GREEK THEOLOGY
One cannot serve the gods
by offering sacrifices and
requesting favors.
Service is rendered only
by actions that assist the
gods in achieving their
goals. No divine goals
are furthered by animal
slaughter.
How does one serve the
gods?
TWO CONCEPTIONS OF PIETY
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Ritualistic Religion (prayer and sacrifice piety). Make
the gods happy with your gifts, secure their help in
achieving your goals.
Ethical religion (moral fruit piety). Serve divine aims
by promoting virtuous conduct: (1) exposing
intellectual arrogance by questioning unexamined
assumptions and, (2) exhorting others to value
character over fame or material gain.
Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Mt. 9.13
PLATO’S APOLOGY
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In 399 B.C.E., in Athens, Socrates, aged 70,
was brought to trial on the following charges:
Socrates is guilty of refusing to recognize the
gods recognized by the state, and of
introducing other new divinities. He is also
guilty of corrupting the youth. The penalty
demanded is death.
REFUTATION OF THE OLD ACCUSERS
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Socrates is guilty of
needless curiosity and
meddling interference,
inquiring into things
beneath earth and in the
sky, making the weaker
argument stronger, and
teaching others to do the
same. (19b)
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Origin of the old charges.
Charephon’s query at the Delphic
Oracle: Is any one wiser than
Socrates? No.
What does the god mean? I know I
am not wise at all. Testing the
oracle by examining politicians,
poets, and craftsmen. …neither of
us knows anything worthwhile; but
he thinks he does and does not,
and I do not and do not think I do.
(21d)
THE SOCRATIC MISSION
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Negative (therapeutic)
task: To expose false
claims to knowledge.
The profession of
ignorance. He is wisest
who knows his wisdom
is worth nothing.
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Positive task: Exhortations to
virtue. God’s gadfly. Value
wisdom, truth, and character
over wealth, reputation, and
honor. I go about doing
nothing but persuading
you…to care not for body or
money …so much as
excellence of soul. (30 a.b)
I believe you have yet to gain a greater good than my
Service to the God.
GOD’S GADFLY
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For if you kill me you will not
easily find a successor to
me, who, if I may use such
a ludicrous figure of speech,
am a sort of gadfly, given
to the state by God; and the
state is a great and noble
stead who is tardy in his
motions owing to his very
size, and requires to be
stirred into life.
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I am that gadfly which God
has attached to the state,
and all day long and in all
places am always 31a
fastening upon you, arousing
and persuading and
reproaching you. You will
not easily find another like
me, and therefore I
would advise you to spare
me.