Philosophy-Great Works of Western Philosophy - Essay Example

Euthyphro features a logical argumentation on the notion of piety between Socrates and Euthyphro, a self-proclaimed religious expert. The situation of the dialogue is based on Euthyphro’s ensuing prosecution of his own father for the charge of murder. The argumentation in the Euthyphro is largely based on the topic’s ‘definition by division’ in order to come to a mutual understanding as well as a more distinct definition of piety. Euthyphro’s notion of piety is derived from his certain knowledge of the gods - what they love and what they don’t.

Throughout the dialogue, Socrates positions himself as the ignorant student of Euthyphro eager to understand the profound meaning of piety. At the beginning of the dialogue, Socrates criticizes Euthyphro’s definition of piety claiming that piety is what is pleasing to the gods. The difference between piousness and impiousness as argued by Euthyphro claims that This argument is not free of ambiguity. Difference of opinions among the gods on the same things can create a situation under which the same things would be both pious and impious, which is a logically impossible condition.

What is characteristically unique about the dialogue of Plato’s Euthyphro is that Socrates uses the technique of analogy in order to explain the definitions made by Euthyphro. The analogies are used by Socrates in his effort to make himself clear while questioning Euthyphro with regard to the doubts about Euthyphro’s definitions of piety. Above all, Socrates, by means of the expounding argumentation, wishes to come to a universally true answer about the definition of piety. The definition of piety, in order to be considered universally true, logically requires to include the essence of the term.

As mentioned earlier, Socrates rejects Euthyphro’s religious definition of piety arguing that disputes among the gods on the piousness and