CONCEPT OF SOCRATES AND EUTHYPHRO

Concept of Socrates and Euthyphro

Concept of Socrates and Euthyphro

Introduction

The Euthypro is basically Plato's dialogue set close to the court of king Archon where Socrates and Euthypro come across each other prior to their trails. The dialogue basically revolves around the Socrates' attempt to develop an insight into the concept of holiness. The whole dialogue is basically a debate between Euthypro and Socrates to come up with a universal definition of holiness against which all human actions can be judged logically in terms of their piety.

Concept of Holiness in Dialogue and Reasons for its Prominent Position

Euthypro is basically a fine attempt to come up with most comprehensive, convincing and logical definition of the divine virtue of 'holiness'. The concept of holiness mainly emerges when the dialogue reveals that Socrates was alleged for lacking holiness and manipulating religious doctrine so he was about to face his trial. Socrates further claims about the existence of 'the divine monitor' that is a voice to advice him in certain conditions (Allen, 1970). The concept of holiness navigates to the evident forefront when Socrates tries to unveil the inconsistencies in religious beliefs of Euthypro. Socrates' persistent effort to explore holiness depicts that he wanted holiness to be defined as an end in relation to the products produced by it (Joyce, 2002).

The definitions of holiness presented by Euthypro and Socrates' objections to those definitions project holiness as an art of sustaining and safeguarding human welfare because Socrates believes that knowledge of good and evil lies at the foundation of holiness(Allen, 1970). It takes a prominent position in the dialogue between Euthypro and Socrates because the Euthypro's stance at holiness could not address the logical queries of Socrates regarding the definition of holiness. The puzzled ending of the dialogue affirms the idea that they both concluded holiness as something loved by the Gods because of its holiness.

Three definitions Presented by Euthypro and Socrates' Response

First Definition

First of all, Euthypro defines holiness as what is he doing as prosecuting his father is essential because it has incurred the religious doctrine. But Socrates refutes this definition as it was just an exemplification of piety and it was not sufficient to reveal the foundational attributes of piety (Dimas, 2006).

Second Definition

Euthypro's second attempt to define holiness asserts that holiness is what is pleasant to the gods (Plato, 1991). Socrates rejects this definition because there can be a contradiction ...