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A review by adelino
Euthyphro by Plato
3.0
Socrates inquires his friend Euthyphro, so as to understand his notion of piety, helping him to understand some contradictions in his thoughts. This quest turns out to be quite difficult; in fact the dialogue doesn't end with an answer. Nonetheless, it engages us into thinking critically. These two quotes can be found at the middle of the dialogue, summarising it quite well.
Euthyphro: "Yes, I should say that what all the gods love is pious and holy, and the opposite which they all hate, impious."
Socrates: "The point which I should first wish to understand is whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the the gods?"
Euthyphro chooses the later. And I find this passage amazing:
Socrates: "But where reverence is, there is fear; for he who has a feeling of reverence and shame about the commission of any action, fears and is afraid of an ill reputation."
Euthyphro then argues that "piety is a science of asking and giving" to which Socrates responds:
Socrates: "Is not the right way of asking to ask of them (the gods) what we want?"
Socrates: "And the right way of giving is to give to them in return what they want of us."
The difficulty is to understand what do they want of us and what for, that is—what piety is all about! Interestingly, when Euthyphro is asked on the relation between the concept of justice and piety, he argues that justice includes piety.
Euthyphro: "Yes, I should say that what all the gods love is pious and holy, and the opposite which they all hate, impious."
Socrates: "The point which I should first wish to understand is whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the the gods?"
Euthyphro chooses the later. And I find this passage amazing:
Socrates: "But where reverence is, there is fear; for he who has a feeling of reverence and shame about the commission of any action, fears and is afraid of an ill reputation."
Euthyphro then argues that "piety is a science of asking and giving" to which Socrates responds:
Socrates: "Is not the right way of asking to ask of them (the gods) what we want?"
Socrates: "And the right way of giving is to give to them in return what they want of us."
The difficulty is to understand what do they want of us and what for, that is—what piety is all about! Interestingly, when Euthyphro is asked on the relation between the concept of justice and piety, he argues that justice includes piety.