Here we have Socrates waiting in court to face his judges and accuser. What is his crime?
"Socrates. Oh, he [Socrates' accuser Meletus] brings a wonderful accusation against me! At first hearing it may surprise you. He says that I am a poet or maker of gods, and that I invent new gods and deny the existence of old ones. That's the basis of his charge.
Euthyphro. I see, Socrates. He's attacking you for the familiar sign that sometimes, as you say, comes to you. He thinks you're a heretic, and he's going to have you tried for it."
What is a "familiar sign"? It is that inner voice - the inner voice that leads to poetry, (note that - Poet or Maker of Gods) or insight, or mystical vision. Euthyphro considers himself to be a prophet. He, too, has an inner voice, and his tells him what piety is. No wonder Socrates wants Euthyphro to enlighten him on the nature of piety. It might save his life!
But Socrates' questions reveal that Euthyphro is one of those spiritual materialists, one of those who wear the trappings of goodness and virtue on the outside, but are shallow and confused on the inside. Not evil - not one of those Jeckyll-and-Hyde hypocrites, but rather someone so intellectually immature ("unexamined") that he takes the stories of Kronos and Zeus literally, and thinks that in order to be pius he must follow in the footsteps of the god's son who took down his father god.
Euthyphro wants, above all, to be pious. He loves his Gods, and believes that piety is the way to express that. But what about loyal to a parent? The Gods think that is good, too. Prosecuting a murderer, that is definitelly pious. Talk about an ethical dilemma!
Socrates' questions help Euthyphro see (rather unwillingly, don't you think?) that his reasoning is superficial and won't stand up to scrutiny. That doesn't help Socrates.
Do you think Euthyphro proceeds with his prosecution of his father? He was in a big hurry to leave. . .
3 comments:
I think he prosectuted his father. I believe that he would have to have either a profound hatred of his father, or some other motive that he would benifit from. although im not a poly-theist so who the heck knows, maybe he really was trying to appease some god or goddess by showing a pious act. Maybe he went home crying because all of his core values and ideas had been shattered by mean old truth seeking Socrates and his nifty bag-o-questions!!
I think that he did only because he had too. Then again he might didnt because that was his father.
Maybe he went home and prayed for guidance. He was rather proud that he "saw visions"
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