Euthyphro
Most disagreements over religion are centered around the existence of God. Euthyphro, a dialogue written by Plato, is unique because it does not deal with the existence of God. Instead, the dialogue raises another important question: what is piety? Specifically, is it correct to say that "morality rests on a belief in God" (Plato 1)? In the dialogue, Plato features two characters, Socrates and Euthyphro. The men meet outside of the court of Athens. Socrates is summoned there on charges of impiety, and Euthyphro is there to prosecute his father for murder. Socrates is shocked that Euthyphro is charging his father with murder with such conviction, but Euthyphro assures Socrates that he is an expert on all such religious matters and that his actions are holy. Socrates is curious about Euthyphro's confidence and begins to question him on matters of holiness. He tells Euthyphro, "I am eager to become your student" (Plato 5), and learns what is holy and unholy. Euthyphro, flattered by Socrates' words, begins to give him examples of what is holy, but Socrates stops him and asks for a specific definition. Still confident in his knowledge, Euthyphro tells Socrates that what is holy is "what is agreeable to the gods" (Plato 7). Socrates quickly disproves this definition by pointing out that the gods often quarrel and that what is agreeable to one will not necessarily be agreeable to others. Euthyphro acknowledges the truth in this and alters his definition. He says that which is "holy is whatever all the gods love" (Plato 10), and then Socrates constructs an elaborate argument to illustrate that the two are not compatible. He explains that holiness cannot determine what is approved by the gods and also be determined by what gets approved by the gods. Euthyphro is stumped by this dilemma and unable to come up with a new definition to please Socrates. The discussion ends as Euthyphro walks away in frustration, and the reader is left to think of a solution to Socrates' puzzle.
Although Euthyphro and Socrates' argument ends inconclusively, Socrates leads the reader to two paths of reasoning that answer the question of why things are holy. The first path assumes that holy things are holy because God loves them, and ...
