Question

1. wht is wrong with euthyphro's first proposal ?

2. in what way is euthyphro's third proposal an improvment on the second? what is still wrong with it?

3. should we care what other people think of us (according to sacrotes but also according to you)?

Answer 1

1. Euthyphro's First Proposal presented the argument that the pious is to prosecute the wrongdoer and the impious is not to prosecute the wrongdoer. However, Socrates objected to this idea and stated that the proposal lacked generality. It appears to apply solely to acts involving the prosecution of wrongdoers, ignoring other acts of piety.

2. In the Second Proposal, Euthyphro stated that what is pious is loved by all the gods, while what is impious is hated by them all. Socrates objected to this assumption as well, providing several counter arguments. This lead to the formulation of the Third Proposal which was the piety is a knowledge of how to give (sacrifice) to, and beg from (pray to) the gods. This proposal overcame the challenge of the previous proposal, which was that being beloved by the gods was merely a characteristic of the pious, not what the pious was. However, it also presented loopholes in itself which Socrates pointed out. He established that there is nothing lacking in the gods which humans could give them.

3. According to Socrates, we should refrain from giving importance to what the majority says. I agree with Socrates on this view.