Plato Five Dialogues: Euthyphro Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on key terms and concepts from Plato’s Euthyphro (as presented in the Five Dialogues edition).

Piety

The virtue of being pious; actions or conduct approved by the gods; in Euthyphro, the idea that prosecting a wrongdoer (even a father) can be called pious.

Impiety

The opposite of piety; actions considered unholy or contrary to divine law.

Hosion

Greek term for piety initially meaning knowledge of the proper ritual in prayer and sacrifice; used more broadly for pious conduct.

Form (Plato’s Form)

The single universal essence that makes all particular actions or things of a kind; e.g., the one Form that makes actions pious.

Eidos

The technical term for Form in Plato's philosophy; synonymous with 'Form' in this context.

God-loved

Something that is loved by the gods; a property attributed to things valued by the gods.

Pious

That which is pleasing to the gods; actions or qualities that are revered by the gods and thus considered morally right.

God-loved vs. Pious

The idea that what is loved by the gods (god-loved) is not necessarily the same as what is pious; they can be distinct notions.

Euthyphro dilemma

The question of whether something is pious because the gods love it, or the gods love it because it is pious.

Genus and Species

A classification distinction: genus = general category; species = the specific kind within that category; used to discuss piety’s nature.

Lyceum

An outdoor gymnasium in Athens where Socrates and others discussed philosophy.

King-archon

The chief magistrate in Athens responsible for religious rituals and certain legal cases involving the gods.

Deme

A local Attic community or village; citizens were enrolled in their deme.

Acropolis

The high, central area of Athens housing major temples; center of religious life.

Assembly

The Athenian democratic body; the final decision-making forum open to adult male citizens.

Daimon/Daimonion

A divine or inner guiding sign in Socrates’ experience; a voice that prevents him from wrongful action.

Proteus

A shapeshifting sea god mentioned in a footnote to illustrate changing forms; used to discuss flexibility of arguments.

Daedalus

Mythical craftsman whose moving statues are used in a footnote as a relate-to-move analogy for arguments.

Care of the gods

The kind of service or duty toward the gods implied by piety; often framed as the gods’ care being served by human actions.

Service to the gods (gifts/prayer)

The exchange of honors, gifts, and prayers with the divine; a practical aspect of piety as a mutual relationship between humans and gods.