apology 1

Class Schedule Update

  • Thursday: No class meeting.

  • Tuesday: Begin reading assignment on Apology (available on Canvas).

Introduction to Topics

  • Key Focus Areas:

    • Divine Command Theory

    • Euthyphro

Review of Euthyphro

  • Euthyphro’s Attempts to Define Piety:

    • Initial Definitions:

    • Piety: What all the gods love.

    • Impiety: What all the gods hate.

    • Socrates’ Challenge:

    • Questions whether piety is loved by the gods because it is inherently pious or if it is defined as pious simply because the gods love it.

Divine Command Theory (DCT)

  • Definition: Morality is determined by God's will.

  • Socratic Inquiry:

    • Is conduct:

      • [a] commanded by God because it is intrinsically right? OR

      • [b] right because it is commanded by God?

    • Implications of Each Option:

    • Option [a]: Morality exists independently of God but could challenge the validity of DCT.

    • Option [b]:

      • Makes morality arbitrary, suggesting that whatever God commands is right, undermining the inherent goodness of God.

Umpires and Strikes Analogy

  • Conceptual Exploration:

    • Does the umpire call a strike because it objectively is a strike? OR is it a strike solely because the umpire has made that call?

    • **Implications of each view: **

    • Option [a]: Strikes can exist independently of umpire judgment.

    • Option [b]: Strikes are arbitrary, rendering the concept of a good umpire meaningless.

DCT and The Existence of God

  • Premise: Accepting DCT suggests a belief in the existence of God.

  • Assertion: DCT necessitates that God indeed exists for its foundation.

Further Discussion on Euthyphro

  • Euthyphro’s Position: The gods love actions that are pious because they are inherently pious.

  • Socrates’ Response:

    • Euthyphro fails to provide a definition of piety, instead only describing its effect or quality.

Defining Key Terms

  • Pious: The state of being morally good.

  • Good: One who is virtuous.

  • Virtuous: The state of being righteous.

  • Righteous: One who is morally good, excellent, or pious.

Piety and Justice Relationship

  • Socratic Position: All that is pious is just.

  • Euthyphro's Inquiry: Is all that is just also pious?

    • Socratic Logic: All As are Bs (all pious is just), but are all Bs As (is all just also pious)?

Exploring Fear and Shame

  • Socratic Claim: "Where there is fear, there is also shame."

    • Suggests that all instances of fear are also instances of shame (All As are Bs).

  • Counterpoint: Socrates argues against this claim by providing examples of fear (disease, poverty) not always leading to shame.

  • Conclusion: Where there is shame, there is necessarily fear. (All Bs are As)

  • Insight: Fear encompasses a broader range than shame.

Piety as a Component of Justice

  • Socratic Definition of Piety:

    • Piety is defined as: the part of justice that relates to the care for the gods.

  • Socratic Argument: Care implies improvement, yet it is asserted that the gods cannot be improved.

  • Euthyphro’s Clarification: Argues that the discussion is not about that kind of care.

  • Genus-Differentia Definition: A definition method placing a term in a broader category, explaining how it differs from other members of that category.

Piety as Service

  • Alternative Definition of Piety:

    • Piety is described as a “sort of trading skill” between gods and men.

  • Euthyphro's Response to Socratic Inquiry:

    • The gods receive honor, reverence, gratitude—elements most dear to them.

  • Socrates’ Reassertion: Returns to previous definitions, fostering continuous questioning.

Philosophy of the Euthyphro

  • Cynical View: The discussion may suggest philosophy is unproductive; no tangible learning occurs.

  • Counterpoint: Questions the rationale behind Plato’s lifelong dedication to philosophical pursuits if it is deemed worthless.