Euthyphro

Euthyphro is one of Plato's known dialogues.

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Shortly before the Greek philosopher Socrates is due to appear in court, he encounters a young man, Euthyphro, who has gained the reputation of being a religious expert. Euthyphro has come to lay a series of charges against his father, that of manslaughter, as his father had allowed one of his workers to die without proper care and attention. The worker had killed a slave belonging to the family estate on the island of Naxos, and Euthyphro's father had let him die bound and gagged in a ditch. Socrates expresses his astonishment at the confidence of a young man able to take his own father to court on such a serious charge. He must have a clear understanding of what is holy and unholy. Since Socrates himself is facing a charge of lacking holiness (worshipping gods not approved by the state) and is unclear what holiness is, he hopes to learn from Euthyphro.

Related Topics:
Greek - Philosopher - Socrates - Religious - Holy - Unholy - Gods

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Euthyphro claims that what lies behind the charge brought against Socrates by Meletus and the other accusers is Socrates's claim that he is subjected to a daimon or divine sign which warns him of various courses of action. Euthyphro is right; such a claim would be regarded with suspicion by many Athenians. So too would Socrates's views on some of the stories about the Greek gods, which the two men briefly discuss before plunging into the argument. Socrates expresses reservations about those accounts which show up the gods' cruelty. He mentions the castration of

Related Topics:
Meletus - Daimon

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the early sky god, Kronos, by his son Zeus, saying he finds such stories very difficult to accept.

Related Topics:
Kronos - Zeus

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