Reading Study Questions 1: Euthyphro and Apology dialogues by Plato
Euthyphro Questions
- Why did Socrates arrive at the Porch of the King Archon?
- Euthyphros first definition of piety is: Piety is doing as I am doing; that is to say, prosecuting anyone who is guilty of murder, sacrilege, or any other similar crimewhether he be your father or mother, or some other person, that makes no differenceand not prosecuting them is impiety. Why does Socrates and ultimately Euthyphro reject this definition?
- Next, Euthyphro offers this definition of piety: “Piety, then, is that which is dear to the gods, and impiety is that which is not dear to them.” Why does Socrates and ultimately Euthyphro reject this definition?
- At the end of the Euthyphro dialogue, Socrates says to Euthyphro, “For if you had not certainly known the nature of piety, and impiety, I am confident that you would never, on behalf of a serf, have charged your aged father with murder.” Implied here is that without clear knowledge, we should not take action when that action can cause harm to others. Another way of putting it: when we take bold action, it must rest on wisdom. Without such wisdom or clear knowledge, we should be restrained in what we do.
Do you agree with Socrates on this? Is it wrong (or immoral) to take action on the basis of insufficient evidence or a lack of knowledge? Is Euthyphro wrong to charge his father with murder, given his inability to defend the act as pious? Why or why not?
Apology Questions
- In a couple sentences, explain why Socrates believes himself to be the wisest person in Athens.
- Meletus accuses Socrates of being “a doer of evil, and corruptor of the youth, and (someone who) does not believe in the gods of the state, and has other new divinities of his own.” Describe one argument Socrates makes to defend himself.
- Socrates argued that killing him will harm his accusers/killers more than himself. On what basis does he say this?
- Socrates is not concerned with being killed. Why is this? What is his argument?
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