EUTHYPHRO Digitized by Microsoft (R)
ECJTHYPHRO
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPHIRO THE Euthyphro probably owes its place at the head of the list of dialogues to the fact that it is the first of four dialogues dealing with the trial and death of Socrates. It is probably one of the earliest in date of composition, though that fact is not likely to have affected its position in the series Socrates comes to the court of the king archon to attend to some preliminaries of his trial on the charge of impiety and corrupting the youth. Here he meets Euthyphro, who is bringing a charge of manslaughter against his father, on account of th death from exposure of a servant who is himself a murderer. Euthyphro says that he is bringing the more than other men about the nature of piety roper religious observances, and the will of the gods. It is this claim which leads to the discussion of the nature of piety, or holiness, the chief theme of the dialogue The purpose of the dialogue is in part to inculcate correct methods of thinking, more especially the dialectic method. Euthyphro, when requested to give a definition of piety or holiness says(5D)"1 say that holiness is doing what I am doi prosecuting the wrongdoer who commits murder or philologian addicted tp bro whes appears in the Cratylus Digitized by Microsoft (R)
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPHRO THE Euthyphro probably owes its place at the head of the list of dialogues to the fact that it is the first of four dialogues dealing with the trial and death ot Socrates. It is probably one of the earliest in date of composition, though that fact is not likely to have affected its position in the series. Socrates comes to the court of the king archon to attend to some preliminaries of his trial on the charge of impiety and corrupting the youth. Here he meets Euthyphro, who is bringing a charge of manslaughter against his father, on account of the death from exposure of a servant who is himself a murderer. Euthyphro says that he is bringing the charge in the interest of piety, and claims to know more than other men about the nature of piety, proper religious observances, and the will of the gods. 1 It is this claim which leads to the discussion of the nature of piety, or holiness, the chief theme of the dialogue. The purpose of the dialogue is in part to inculcate correct methods of thinking, more especially the dialectic method. Euthyphro, when requested to give a definition of piety or holiness says (5 D) " I say that holiness is doing what I am doing now, prosecuting the wrongdoer who commits murder or 1 Of Euthyphro nothing further is known. He may be identical with the Euthyphro who appears in the Cratylus as a philologian addicted to fanciful etymologies
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPIIRO steals from the temples or does any such thing, whether he be your father or your mother or anyone ot prosecuting conc The second definition offered by Euth phro is emended until it takes the form(9 E)"What ove is holy, and on the other hand what they all hate is unholy. The question then el a it, or the gods love it because it is holy. Cause and effect are discussed. In an attempt to arrive at a third definition, Euthyphro founders hopelessly, whereupon Socrates shows how terms may be defined by referring a species to a genus. Finally Euthyphro states(12 E) that "the part of the right which has to do with attention to the gods consti tutes piety and holiness. H to get him to tell what attention the gods require what end human service to the gods has in view In this he does not succeed, and the dialogue ends with this question unanswered Instruction in methods of thinking may perhaps seem needless to modern read ever, may find it interesting, and in Plato's times it was undoubtedly necessary. Such instruction occu pies an important place in most of the Platonic logues. In the Euthyphro the correct method of thinking is illustrated and inculcated in the course definitions offered by Euthyphro are rejected the third is left unchallanged, though a further limita tion is demanded. It may therefore be regarded as Digitized by Microsoft (B
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPHRO steals from the temples or does any such thing, whether he be your father or your mother or anyone else ; and not prosecuting him is unholy." This reply leads at once to the proof that a particular example does not constitute a definition of a general concept. The second definition offered by Euthyphro is emended until it takes the form (9 E) u What all the gods love is holy, and on the other hand, what they all hate is unholy." The question then arises whether a thing is holy because the gods love it, or the gods love it because it is holy. Cause and effect are discussed. In an attempt to arrive at a third definition, Euthyphro flounders hopelessly, whereupon Socrates shows how terms may be defined by referring a species to a genus. 1 Finally Euthyphro states (12s) that "the part of the right which has to do with attention to the gods consti- tutes piety and holiness." Hereupon Socrates tries to get him to tell what attention the gods require, what end human service to the gods has in view. In this he does not succeed, and the dialogue ends with this question unanswered. Instruction in methods of thinking may perhaps seem needless to modern readers ; even they, however, may find it interesting, and in Plato's times it was undoubtedly necessary. Such instruction occupies an important place in most of the Platonic dialogues. In the Euthyphro the correct method of thinking is illustrated and inculcated in the course of an attempt to define piety or holiness. The two definitions offered by Euthyphro are rejected ; the third is left unchallanged, though a further limita- tion is demanded. It may therefore be regarded as 1 S lie note
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPHRO a definition accepted by Plato, but not considered omplete until the purpose of our service to the god is determined. How Plato would determine it be seen in the Apology (30 A), where Socrates says his life has been spent in the endeavour to persuade men to care chiefly for the perfection of their The Euthyphro may perhaps be regarded as of scientific justification of the position taken Special editions of the Euthyphro are numerous. Among them those of Schanz(1887), Christ(1890), 1890), and Heidel(1902) be chosen for al mention. The last named contains an ex ve bibliography. Digitized by Microsoft (a
INTRODUCTION TO THE EUTHYPHRO a definition accepted by Plato, but not considered complete until the purpose of our service to the gods is determined. How Plato would determine it may be seen in the Apology (30 A), where Socrates says his life has been spent in the endeavour to persuade men to care chiefly for the perfection of their souls. The Euthyphro may perhaps be regarded as a sort of scientific justification of the position taken in the Apology. Special editions of the Euthyphro are numerous. Among them those of Schanz (1887), Christ (1890), Adam (1890), and Heidel (1902) may be chosen for especial mention. The last named contains an ex- haustive bibliography
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