Socrates and Euthyphro agree that
they must be loved by the gods because they are pious
. But, says Socrates, in that case, being pious cannot be the same thing as being god-beloved. … Being loved by the gods causes god-belovedness, but being loved by the gods does not cause piety.
Does Socrates define piety?
Euthyphro’s second definition: Piety is
what is pleasing to the gods
. (6e–7a) Socrates applauds this definition, because it is expressed in a general form, but criticizes it saying that the gods disagree among themselves as to what is pleasing.
Does Socrates know what piety is?
Socrates still
insists that he does not know what piety is
, and certainly Euthyphro has not revealed its true nature. The question is an important one, not only for Socrates, but for anyone who is called upon to make decisions relative to moral conduct.
Why does Socrates claim he wants to hear from Euthyphro about piety?
Socrates says it is not clear what makes anything dear to the gods, and what is dear to some of them ma not be dear to the others. Euthyphro then insists that piety is
that which is pleasing to all of the gods
. He feels sure they all agree that murder is wrong.
How does Socrates respond to this definition of piety impiety?
Euthyphro offers as his first definition of piety what he is doing now, that is, prosecuting his father for manslaughter. Socrates rejects this because it is not a definition; it is only an example or instance of piety. … Piety
is what is dear to the gods and impiety is that which is not dear to them
.
Why is Socrates not satisfied with defining piety as what all the gods love?
Socrates is not satisfied with this definition because
it does not address a fundamental question
: it does not explain why things are pious or not pious—it says everything is pious is something loved by all the gods, but it doesn’t answer question of what MAKES something pious or what the essence of being pious is…
What makes Socrates the wisest man?
Socrates was considered a wise man
because he knew that he did not know anything
. … Socrates believed that people went around thinking they knew more than they actually knew, and pretended to know things that they could not truly be certain of.
What is the main thing Socrates wants Euthyphro to teach him?
Socrates urges Euthyphro to instruct him and to teach him
what holiness is
, since Euthyphro’s teaching might help Socrates in his trial against Meletus. First, Euthyphro suggests that holiness is persecuting religious offenders.
What are the main points Socrates is making in his discussion with Euthyphro?
Socrates proposes that Euthyphro educate him on the nature of piety, so that he will be able to use Euthyphro’s wisdom in his own court case
. Euthyphro boasts that he can counsel Socrates on the nature of piety to such an extent that Meletus would be the one ending up on trial.
Does Socrates believe in God?
Did you know? Although he never outright rejected the standard Athenian view of religion, Socrates’
beliefs were nonconformist
. He often referred to God rather than the gods, and reported being guided by an inner divine voice.
Is pious and piety the same?
Pious can be used positively to describe those who are dutiful or virtuous, or things that are worthy. And it can be used negatively to describe hypocrisy. … Piety, which most often refers to simple religious devotion,
doesn’t have the same problem
, and is more widely used in biblical translations.
Did Socrates live a celibate life?
Consider the student parlour game of puzzling over who among the major philosophical thinkers had a conventional home life. In the ancient Greek world, Socrates was
married with children
but never got round to writing anything down. Plato, as far as we know, never married.
Are the acts pious because god loves them or does god love them because they are pious?
The explanation runs in a circle—it commits the fallacy of Begging the Question. Euthyphro effectively claims that acts are pious because the
gods love
them but that the gods love them because they are pious—which amounts to saying that acts are pious because they are pious, and that is no explanation at all.
What does Socrates want in asking for a definition of piety?
Socrates wants to know what piety is
“through one form”
(Loc. cit., 6e, p. 10). He does not want to know which things or actions are pious, but rather what piety itself is. One cannot simply define something by giving examples so this definition does not satisfy Socrates.
What did Socrates argue?
Socrates argues that
he is innocent of both charges
. His defense is ultimately unsuccessful, and he is convicted and sentenced to death. Socrates concludes the Apology by arguing that a just man should have no fear of death.
What is Socrates trying to prove?
After his service in the war, Socrates devoted himself to his favorite pastime:
the pursuit of truth
. … When told that the Oracle of Delphi had revealed to one of his friends that Socrates was the wisest man in Athens, he responded not by boasting or celebrating, but by trying to prove the Oracle wrong.
