In the Euthyphro Socrates asks what has come to be called the “Euthyphro question:” Is
something pious because the gods love it, or is it loved by the gods because it is pious? While
this seems as if it might be an easy question to answer, there are some serious issues here: If
God wills something in one version of the answer to the Euthyphro question, then it must be
good. But suppose we believe that God wills something that many think is evil. One answer to
this problem is that God would not do that. But this answer seems to imply a standard of good
and evil that is separate from God. Discuss this problem and relate it to what you think
Socrates is aiming at with his apparent criticism of Athenian organized religion in the
Sample Solution
The Euthyphro dilemma is a philosophical problem raised by Socrates in Plato's dialogue Euthyphro. The dilemma asks whether something is pious because the gods love it, or whether the gods love it because it is pious.
Socrates argues that if something is pious because the gods love it, then the gods' love is arbitrary. That is, the gods could love anything, regardless of whether it is actually pious. This would mean that there is no objective standard of piety, and that what is pious is simply whatever the gods happen to love.
Full Answer Section
On the other hand, if something is loved by the gods because it is pious, then there must be an objective standard of piety that the gods are following. This standard of piety would exist independently of the gods' love, and would be the reason why the gods love pious things.
Socrates argues that both of these options are problematic. If piety is arbitrary, then there is no such thing as objective morality. And if there is an objective standard of piety that exists independently of the gods, then the gods are not the ultimate source of morality.
Socrates' argument in the Euthyphro dilemma has been interpreted in a number of different ways. Some scholars believe that Socrates is simply pointing out the flaws in Euthyphro's definition of piety. Others believe that Socrates is arguing for a form of natural law, which is the idea that there is an objective standard of morality that exists independently of human beings and their religious beliefs.
Whatever Socrates' intention, the Euthyphro dilemma remains a powerful challenge to any attempt to define piety or morality in terms of the gods' will. The dilemma also raises important questions about the relationship between religion and morality.
In the context of Athenian organized religion, the Euthyphro dilemma can be seen as a criticism of the idea that the gods are the ultimate source of morality. If the gods' love is arbitrary, then there is no such thing as objective morality. And if there is an objective standard of morality that exists independently of the gods, then the gods are not the ultimate source of morality.
Socrates' argument suggests that morality is not something that is simply handed down to us from the gods. Rather, morality is something that we must discover for ourselves. We must use our reason to figure out what is right and wrong, and then live our lives in accordance with those principles.
The Euthyphro dilemma is a complex and challenging philosophical problem. It has been debated by philosophers for centuries, and there is no easy answer. However, the dilemma remains an important part of the philosophical discussion of religion and morality.
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