1. Euthyphro Or, an Introduction to the Socratic Method

2. The Historical Socrates Born abt 470 BC in Athens Greece Had a wife and three children Trained as a stonemason Served in the military (as was customary) Unclear how he earned a living Philosophy was spoken only, never written The main records of Socrates come from Plato

3. Ancient Athens City-state Only male, landowning citizens had political power Thirty Tyrants: Overthrew democratic government in 404 BC. Leader was Critias, a former student of Socrates.

4. Socratic Method Goal: Find truth through direct questioning A reasonable person must commit to being consistent A set of ideas/statements is consistent if they can all be true at the same time The principle of non-contradiction

5. Socratic Method Goal: Find truth through direct questioning Direct Question: Examines a definition or claim Questioner puts forward claims that follow from the previous definition or claim Can only be answered with “yes” or “no” Contradiction requires rejection of definition or claim New definition or claim put forward and process begins again

6. Euthyphro What is Piety? (5d – 6e) Euthyphro: Piety is trying your father for murder like I am now. Socrates: But that is just an example, what makes that action pious? Goal: Find universal definition of concept

7. Euthyphro What is Piety? (7a – 8a) Euthyphro: What the gods love. Socrates: But some gods love things while other gods hate the same thing. Goal: Avoid contradiction

8. Euthyphro What is Piety? (9e - 10a) Euthyphro: What all gods love. Socrates: Do the gods love it because it is pious or is it pious because the gods love it? Goal: Find the source of the gods’ love.

9. The Euthyphro ProblemA Christian Variation “Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?”

10. The Euthyphro ProblemA Christian Variation The First Horn of the Dilemma Morality is dependent on God Morality is arbitrary No reason to God's actions God is neither good nor bad

11. The Euthyphro ProblemA Christian Variation The Second Horn of the Dilemma Morality is independent of God God is not all powerful God is not completely free--must command morality Don't need God to be moral

12. Euthyphro What is Piety? (12e – 14c) Euthyphro: The care of the gods. Socrates: So to be pious is to make the gods better?