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Plato's Euthyphro

• The Euthyphro is the first of three of Plato's dialogues dealing with the trial of Socrates.
• In Euthyphro, Socrates and a prosecutor named Euthyphro meet at the court house.

• Socrates is on trial for corrupting the youth and impiety, and Euthyphro is there to prosecute his own father for murder.
• Socrates and Euthyphro have a couple things in common.

• They are both divinely inspired: Socrates claims to hear a divine god's voice in his head, and Euthyphro claims he has the power of prophecy.

• Also, the citizens of Athens has turned against both men.
• Socrates and Euthyphro have a discussion about the definition of piety.

• Euthyphro's first definition of piety is the punishment of wrongdoing.

• Euthyphro evolves this into a more exact definition: piety is what is dear to the gods
• With characteristic logic and questions and answers, Socrates forces Euthyphro to doubt his definition.

• Socrates...

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