Euthyphro

The *Euthyphro* is a philosophical work written by the Greek philosopher Plato.

It is written as a Socratic dialogue. This is a literary form that presents a conversation between two characters. The dialogue takes place in 399 BC in Athens. The setting is near the Porch of the King Archon. Here, the philosopher Socrates is waiting for a preliminary hearing. He is facing a trial for impiety, which means a lack of respect for the gods.

In this dialogue, Socrates meets a man named Euthyphro. Euthyphro is a prophet in his mid-forties from Prospalta. He is at the court to prosecute his own elderly father for murder. The incident involved a worker on land located on the island of Naxos. Euthyphro believes this prosecution is a pious act. Because Euthyphro claims to be an expert on divine matters, Socrates asks him for help. Socrates wants a clear definition of piety to use in his own legal defense.

Euthyphro attempts to define piety through several different stages of reasoning. His first definition is simply the act of prosecuting a wrongdoer. Socrates rejects this because it is merely an example. He argues that a definition must provide the essential characteristic of all pious acts. Euthyphro then suggests that piety is what is pleasing to the gods. Socrates points out a flaw in this logic. Since gods often disagree, an action could be both pious and impious at the same time.

The conversation reaches a critical point with the third definition. Euthyphro claims that what all the gods love is pious. This leads to the famous Euthyphro dilemma. Socrates asks: "Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious? Or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?" This question explores whether goodness exists independently or if it depends on divine approval. If something is pious because gods love it, then piety is arbitrary. If gods love it because it is already pious, then piety exists on its own.

Euthyphro tries again by suggesting piety is a part of justice. He also suggests that piety involves looking after the gods. Socrates objects to this idea of "looking after" the gods. He argues that if humans could make a god better, it would be an act of hubris. Hubris is a dangerous human emotion that the Greek gods frowned upon. Finally, Euthyphro proposes that piety is the knowledge of correct sacrifices and prayers. Socrates notes this sounds like a form of commerce or a trade between humans and deities.

The dialogue ends in an aporetic state, meaning it reaches no final conclusion. Euthyphro becomes in a rush and leaves the conversation. Socrates is left without the definition he needed for his trial. This text has a long history of study and criticism. In antiquity, some believed Euthyphro was a fictitious character. The scholar Numenius of Apamea suggested Plato used a fake character to critique Athenian religion safely. This might have helped Plato avoid the same fate as Socrates.

Throughout history, many scholars have preserved and translated this work. An Armenian translation exists from the 11th century. In the 1400s, scholars like Francesco Filelfo and Marsilio Ficino produced Latin translations. The first printed Greek edition appeared in Venice in 1513. Even in modern times, the Euthyphro dilemma remains a central topic. Philosophers and theologians still debate the connection between morality and the divine. It remains one of the most important introductions to Platonic thought.