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What Is Piety - Online Essays

What Is Piety

During the Periclean age (around 400 B.C.) in Athens Greece there was a
man named Socrates. He was considered a very wise man by the Athenians. However
there were men in power who did not care for him or his teachings; Claiming that
he corrupted the Athenian youth and did not believe in the Greek gods, Socrates
was put on trail. On his way to his trial Socrates met a man named Euthyphro, a
professional priest who is respected by the "authorities" (those who want get
rid of Socrates). Euthyphro is at the court house to prosecute his father for
murder. Socrates finds this to be interesting. If Euthyphro can properly explain
why he is prosecuting his father for murder Socrates might have an ...

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gives Socrates four different definitions of what he
believes piety is, none of which prove satisfactory to Socrates, leaving the
question unanswered in the end.
The first definition that Euthyphro provides to Socrates is that "the
pious is to do what I am doing now to prosecute the wrong doer" (Plato,
Euthyphro, Grube trans., p. 9). This is merely an example of piety, and Socrates
is seeking a definition, not one or two pious actions. Socrates says "you did
not teach me adequately when I asked you what the pious was, but you told me
that what you are doing now, prosecuting your father for murder is pious (Loc.
cit., 6d, p. 10) Socrates wants to know what piety is "through one form" (Loc.
cit., 6e, p.10). He does not want to know which things or actions are pious, but
rather what piety itself is. One cannot simply define something by giving
examples so this definition does not satisfy Socrates.
Euthyphro gives Socrates the second definition. He argues "what is dear
to the gods is ...

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What Is Piety. (2006, June 17). Retrieved May 30, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/What-Is-Piety/47697

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/17/2006 05:54:45 PM
Category: Miscellaneous
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 927
Pages: 4

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