ABSTRACT
The Euthyphro recounts a conversation between Socrates and Euthryphro. The latter is planning to prosecute his father for an unintentional homicide in order to avoid any religious pollution that might accrue to him as a result of his association with the “murderer.” Socrates’ immediate reaction is amazement: “Good heavens, Euthyphro! and is your knowledge of religion and of things pious and impious so very exact that, supposing the circumstances to be as you state them, you are not afraid lest you too may be doing an impious thing in bringing an action against your father?” Euthyphro is unperturbed, however, professing “exact knowledge of all such matters.” The conversation then turns to a discussion of the nature of piety. After some preliminary fencing, Euthyphro proposes that the pious or holy is what is loved by the gods, and this leads to the central question of the dialogue: “whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the gods?”1
