PHIL 100 Euthyphro and Apology

etymology of the word ‘philosophy’

philia / sophia

philia

love

sophia

wisdom

should we understand a philosopher as one who possesses wisdom

a philosopher is one who is understood as seeking wisdom, not having it

what kind of relation to wisdom does a philosopher have

treated like a lifelong practice and grow towards, not like a prize you win only once

desire

care deeply about wisdom as something valuable

pursuit

actively search for it through questioning, reasoning, and reflection

humility

recognize that wisdom is difficult and incomplete

discipline

train their thinking and character to become capable of wisdom

what is the relationship between wisdom and self-knowledge

in Socrates’ view, knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom because it helps you stop living blindly or arrogantly. it makes your life more honest and your thinking more responsible.

what is the connection between the wisdom that philosophers seek and ignorance

ignorance is the starting point of philosophy, wisdom includes awareness of ignorance, (like Socrates knowing that you do not know everything)

what is the worst kind of ignorance

not knowing what while believing you know (false confidence)

what kind of knowledge does wisdom entail

wisdom entails knowledge that is deep, self-aware, and action-guiding, not just information, but understanding of how to live well and why

what is the subject matter of philosophy

most general and fundamental questions about reality and human life and with the basic structure of things

in what way is philosophy different from most other disciplines

doesn’t just study one region of reality, studies foundations, concepts and reasons and arguments, is unusually reflective and critical even about own methods

why is dialogue so central to philosophy

it isn’t about memorizing conclusions, it’s about testing reasons. which is why Socrates uses conversation, finding truth by questioning, answering, and revision, and not just announcing a doctrine

is philosophy concerned more with answering long-established questions, or with questioning the very questions that orient understanding

philosophy aims at answers, but it becomes philosophy when it is willing to question the framework that makes answers possible

why is socrates so famous

became the model of the philosopher as a way of life

what did socrates challenge

people’s confidence that they knew what justice, piety, courage, etc. are

socratic method

testing beliefs by dialogue

how did socrates become legendary

chose integrity over safety, accepted death over abandoning his principles. the trial and execution made him a lasting symbol of intellectual honesty and moral courage

where did socrates come from

athens

did socrates write anything of note

no, was known through other peoples writings (eg. Plato’s five dialogues) aka “socratic problem”

was socrates handsome

not under ancient greek’s beauty standards, he disrupted the expectation that outward beauty was linked with excellence

what did socrates do for a living

stoneworker/sculptor, but was known for spending time in conversation

was socrates courageous

had reputation for physical courage and endurance, described as calm under pressure and tough

could socrates drink

was known to drink heavily without getting drunk, which becomes symbolic of his self-control

socrates personality

relentless in questioning, intensely focused on virtue and truth, indifferent to wealth and status

was socrates widely respected

some admired him (especially young followers) but others found him annoying, destabilizing or dangerous. was very famous but not universally loved

why was socrates a target of derision

exposed people on their ignorance, questioned conventional views on politics religion and virtue, appeared to undermine traditional authority even if it claimed to help athens

what is the connection between socrates and goats/satyrs

was compared due to strange appearance and personality, but the idea that something ugly there is something divine or valuable

what is a satyr

part human/goat, associated with mockery and comedies, “tricksters”,

what was plato’s relationship with socrates?

he was socrates student, admirer and literary heir, and saw him as an image of what philosophical life should look like

are plato’s dialogues historical transcripts or works of poetry/myth

does contain historical material, but are treated more like philosophical dramas than recorded conversation

What should we make of the dramatic elements of these texts? Are they merely rhetorical flourish, or do they actually bear on the subject matter under discussion?

they’re philosophically relevant, showing philosophy happen in real human conditions

what is the significance of the fact that plato wrote only dialogues

philosophy is not a set of doctrines to be handed over, prevents readers from becoming passive, making you think along and make your own judgement instead of giving you an answer, training the reader how to philosophize, not just what to believe

is Socrates in the dialogues merely Plato’s mouthpiece

socrates becomes a philosophical character through whom Plato explores ideas

are the dialogues meant to provide formal arguments or answers to clear questions

contains arguments but gives both viewpoints and sometimes gives a strong direction to one, but topic is typically never “finished”, offering philosophical movement over final results

if the dialogues don’t resolve the questions they raise, what’s the point

the point is not to finish the inquiry, but to expose false confidence, train the reader, show that philosophy is a way of life, point beyond the text, and teach though experience

who is euthyphro

someone who claims to know a great deal about piety and divine matters, and confident in own moral-religious judgement

what does euthyphro do for a living

portrayed as a religious specialist, a “seer/prophet”, others may consult to him about religious law, ritual or divine approval

is euthyphro young or old

is more like a mature adult

entering the dialogue, who would we expect to occupy the role of teacher and why

euthyphro, claims special knowledge of piety, confident, doing something bold, and socrates is framing himself as wanting to learn

does socrates “educate” euthyphro in the manner we ordinarily understand instruction to take place (a wiser person informs an ignorant person of some truth)?

by examination not transferring facts, asks him to state what he knows, demands clarity and consistency, test each other through questioning

In what way does this conversation between Euthyphro and Socrates challenge our ordinary understanding of education

ordinary education: knowledgeable person speaks → the ignorant person receives knowledge, the dialogue portrays education as a transformation of the soul, not just the acquisition of information

Having positioned himself as the student, what are some of the ways in which Socrates behaves in a manner not ordinarily associated with being a pupil?

controls direction of the conversation, demands definitions instead of examples, tests the teacher, uses irony and strategic humility, refuses unclear answers, teaches by asking questions

why is euthyphro at king archon’s court

was waiting to put his father on trial for murder

why is socrates so shocked when he hears what euthyphro is up to

because of the devotion obligation to your kin, duty to honour your parent

What greek norms is euthyphro violating in prosecuting his father

filial piety, deference to parental authority

what is socrates doing at king archon’s court, what are the charges against him

he was being put on trial for being impious towards athenian gods/corrupting the youth

how does socrates’ circumstance reflect upon the content of their conversation, what is at stake in this discussion for Socrates and for us as readers?

for socrates, if impiety can’t be defined, then the charge against him seems unstable. for readers, plato is trying to tell us if we can’t give account what we know, then public life/law may rest on confusion/prejudice/power and not understanding

what is peculiar about how Euthyphro defends prosecuting his father

does not appeal to family loyalty/social customs, but treats himself as more pious than others, therefore justifies what he is doing

what are the two key virtues euthyphro refers to in his defense

justice and piety

what is so unorthodox about euthyphro’s defense

in greek thinking prosecuting your family appears impious, but treats justice and piety as obligations overriding kinship duties, saying not doing this would be more impious

what is the ordinary/common understanding of justice in Ancient Greece

strongly tied to social order, not to universal principles abstracted from community life

how does Euthyphro challenge the understanding of justice

implies its not determined by social role or softened by kinship, but wrongdoing must be punished no matter what

what is the ordinary/common understanding of piety in Ancient Greece

honour the gods (prayer, ritual, sacrifice), respect tradition, maintain proper reverence/fear, avoid miasma

miasma

religious pollution

how does euthyphro challenge the understanding of piety

piety isn’t doing what everyone does, but what the gods truly want (even if unpopular), claims expertise rather than ordinary reverence

in Ancient Greece, would piety and justice be commonly viewed as overlapping

yes, but not always philosophically defined, greeks frequently treated piety as a kind of justice towards the gods, and injustice as something that can upset the gods/social order

aretē

excellence, virtue, being the best of its kind. not just being morally nice, but excellence in what a thing is (flourishing, human fulfillment)

is the greek understanding of virtue equivalent to morality

not completely, greek virtue ethics is broader including courage, moderation, intelligence, justice, excellence of character and reason, and skills needed to live well

can one flourish without these excellences of virtue

in greek view, no, because virtue is what makes a human life rational/well-lived

why is it difficult to identify human virtues compared with other species

humans live in many ways, so “what are we for” is contested, we have reason/culture/self-consciousness/other complexes that make human excellence harder to define

What does this (virtue) tell us about our “proper work” or correct way of life

must be discovered/chosen through reflection, philosophy becomes necessary because we ask who we are, what is good, so correct way of life requires reason and not instinct alone

to hosion

piety/holiness in action and principle

from popular Greek conception, what is the connection between piety and reverence

since gods are powerful, higher than humans, sources of order and fortune, to be pious is to show gods proper respect without ignorance

from the perspective from popular conception of Ancient Greece, to whom do we owe reverence

primarily the gods, but also parents, elders, laws, and sacred customs

from the perspective of ancient greece, why do we owe reverence to them

while humans are dependent and mortal, gods are powerful, immortal, and incapable of rewarding/punishing, our parents have also “created” us in a more literal sense and we depend on them also

can we ever hope to be on equal footing with the gods (to no longer be in their debt)

humans can gain honour, excellence, and wisdom but remain mortal and dependent.
we can never fully repay the debt of existence, protection, or cosmic order.

What does being unequal with gods imply about piety and humility

piety naturally involves humility (knowing limits, acknowledging independence, avoiding hubris, and not acting above divine order)

what is euthyphro’s first account of piety

doing what he is doing now (prosecuting his father)

why was euthyphro’s first account of piety (doing what he is doing now) problematic

he didn’t provide a definition, only an example, socrates wanted a basic definition so he can determine if it was right

saying “to be pious is to do what I am doing now” is Euthyphro providing us with an actual, serviceable definition of piety

a definition should give a generalization so it can be recognized in any case, where he only have one action/example so a judgement was unable to be made

does euthyphro display humility defining his first account (doing what he’s doing now)

no, he speaks as if he’s certain and superior in understanding, without showing hesitation or awareness of his limits

hubris

arrogant overstepping, prideful refusal to recognize limits, behaving as though one is above human station

how does euthyphro show hubris in his first account (doing what he’s doing now)

claims confident knowledge of divine requirements, dismissing public opinions as ignorant, acting as moral judge over his own father, and treats his interpretation as unquestionably correct

in his second account: “the pious is what is dear/loved by the gods”, what does socrates find unclear

the same thing could be loved by some gods and hated by others, what is it that the gods truly love? how do we know this?

how might socrates’ question be constructed as a question about responsibility/origins

he asks where the piety comes from and what explains it; are humans responsible for giving reasons, or can we just say the gods like it?

why is it so important, that as a human, Euthyphro provides reasons or an account of why certain deeds are loved by the gods?

human virtue requires accountability through reason, if he claims expertise, must be able to say why the gods love the deed and what makes it right, otherwise he’s just guessing/repeating tradition

what does this tell us about the centrality of accounts when it comes to questions of human virtue

it shows that for humans virtue is inseparable from giving an account, must be able to explain ourselves, justify our actions and understand reasons, not just outcomes

How does Socrates’ example of ‘carrying, leading, and seeing’ bear on the question of whether what is loved by the gods is the result of the gods deeming the thing loveable or based on an inherent character of the thing that is loved

they are passive states caused by an action, so “being loved by the gods” looks like a passive result and not the essence of the thing, therefore a thing is not pious because it is loved, it is loved because it is already something (pious)

How does socrates’ example (carrying, leading, and seeing) also reflect on the question of education and the possibility of corrupting the youth

if piety is just “what the gods love” and can’t say why, moral education becomes imitation, tradition and blind obedience, so the dialogue is asking if questioning is a corruption or is it the only true education? socrates looks dangerous to a city that wants unexamined conformity

Why do Euthyphro and Socrates abandon this definition of piety (as that which is ‘dear to the gods’)

it collapses into contradiction and circularity, (gods disagree → pious/impious conflict, “loved by gods” describes a result not an essence, doesn’t explain why its pious)

what is the third account of piety offered by Euthyphro (that is suggested by Socrates)

piety is a part of justice (the part concerned with the gods) reframing piety as a species of justice

when Socrates asks Euthyphro of the relation between justice and piety, is Socrates putting words in Euthyphro’s mouth

no, he is asking structured questions to guide him through his thinking, but not inventing the view

at what point in the dialogue did Euthyphro himself suggest this as an answer to the question of piety

he already links his action to justice (punishing wrongdoing) and piety, once he accepts that piety is a virtue and that virtues relate, the “piety as part of justice” move becomes possible, was already thinking that even if socrates “sharpens” it

What is the relationship between shame and reverence

if you have shame, you understand you’re not above everyone, and you can have reverence (thinks you would say in front of your friends you may not say in front of your grandparents, making you unable/unwilling to do certain things) shame is induced by a sense of reverence, can be a person/principal/institution, shame can be fear of what you hold above you

the object of Socrates reverence is truth, knowledge/wisdom,

What is the relevance of raising the issue of shame to Euthyphro (is one who proclaims themselves “superior to the mass of men” capable of shame)

socrates is testing whether euthyphro has the kind of character piety requires (humility, awareness of limits, capacity for shame) someone incapable may be incapable of reverence

when Euthyphro explains that piety is the part of justice that is the ‘care of the gods’, why does Socrates express concern

because it implies improving the thing cared for, if gods are perfect then humans cannot improve them, he worries his definition implies that humans make gods better

In what way does this account suggest a reversal of the hierarchy between humans and gods

can imply that gods need humans and depend on our service, flipping the usual script where humans depend on gods

How does Euthyphro explain the meaning of piety as ‘service to the gods’

humans serve gods through ritual acts: prayer, sacrifice, offerings. piety is doing what is traditionally done correctly; service becoming a religious practice rather than improvement

In what way does Euthyphro supplicate himself before the gods in this moment

adopts posture of obedience, reverence, offering and acknowledging divine superiority, this is closer to ordinary greek piety than his earlier confident “expert” stance

In what way does Euthyphro’s affirmation that piety is performing “the traditions and rituals well” constitute a reversal of his original position

he originally claims special insight beyond the crowd and boldness against convention, but now defines it as doing the standard religious practices correctly. making it look conventional and communal, not radical expertise

What is the irony behind this assertion, given not only Euthyphro’s original unorthodox and hubristic viewpoint, but also the contextual relevance that Socrates is on his way to his own trial where he was accused of corrupting the youth

euthyphro begins as unorthodox, proud/certain, yet ends up retreating into traditional ritual language. Socrates is the one demanding rational accounts. the “religious expert” cannot explain piety and the “impious” man seeks clarity and responsibility. socrates’ method of “corrupting youth” looks like real education explaining why Athens fear it

translate apologia

defense, speech in response to an accusation

does socrates seem very apologetic in this dialogue

he is defending his life and actions, often sounds bold, ironic, challenging, morally confident, is accusing athens more than he excuses himself, he is not apologetic.

what way of life does socrates defend in his trial

philosophical life, (questioning, examining himself/others, seek truth/virtue, valuing soul over wealth/reputation)

defends life of public moral inquiry [philosophy is the way of life, jury thinks this way of life should not continue]

in choosing to execute socrates, what did the athenian majority decide about philosophy’s place in the city

decided that socretes’ kind of philosophy should have no protected place in athens, they chose civic comfort and stability over questioning and examination

Given the harshness of this penalty, did the Athenian majority deem philosophy is merely something to be laughed at, or something more dangerous

death penalty suggests they saw socrates as a serious threat to traditional beliefs, civic authority, moral education and social cohesion