Euthyphro Case
What makes a person good or bad? That is a very tricky question that could have many different levels to it. For most people their religion is what gives them strength and give them the direction to live their life. Even though religion is still very powerful today, our ancestors used religion as their ways of life. By breaking the rules set forth by their gods they have broken the most important rules they live by. Ancient Greece was no different. The story of Euthyphro was written by the famous Plato. The story takes place in the Kings Court in the time before Plato’s trial. The two main characters are Plato and Euthyphro and religious expert who charged his father with murder of a worker who had killed. The worker died in a ditch while the father waited to hear back on what to do. While waiting to find out if both will go to trial they get into a conversation where Plato asks Euthyphro to define Piety and religion. Why Euthyphro is very religious Plato is a skeptic who questions the gods. Socrates used this conversation to understand what pious or impious is because he himself is on trial for this.
One concept that can be seen throughout the whole story is Holiness which is defined as being Sacred or holy. To be one with God. This is important to the story because you have thought about when this story is taking place. In the past religion was the most important part of a person’s life. That’s all there was for people back then. It’s not like today when some people can choose not to follow a religion. If people back then were against god then more than likely they would be arrested and maybe killed. This was a time of a lot of religious persecution. Euthyphro uses this as his reasons for turning in his father. No one is above the gods rule. This subject is prominent in their conversation because for the time religion is there ruler.
In the story Euthyphro gives Plato a few definitions of the word Piety for which Plato will in turn try and see if the definition is valid. This is important because Plato himself is on trial for Impious because he is on trial for the same thing.
The First Argument made by Euthyphro is the definition of Piety is what he is doing now. Bringing his father to court to stand trial on the chargers of manslaughter because the worker died in his care is an example of piety. Socrates rejects this claim because it only is an example of piety. This example doesn’t truly explain the definition of what it is. It doesn’t touch base at the core of the question. The second argument made by Euthyphro is that trying his father for the death would be pleasing to the gods. The counter argument used by Socrates is that the gods might not agree with what’s pleasing. One thing for one