The Pious and Impious in Euthyphro

Euthyphro
Name
Institution
Euthyphro
Ideological differences involving religious and moral beliefs have long been a source of some of the major contentious issues in the society. Societies have diverse cultural backgrounds or traditions depending on the affiliated heritage, which demand an inherent and unquestionable commitment from their constituents. A harmonious society, based on such commitment to the social ideologies, is one that has a unanimous fellowship of its members with no dissenting or curious minds seeking greater understanding of the existing social, political, and economic principles dictating their daily lives. Questioning the existing statutes would often be considered an act of rebellion to the established authority or a way of life and thus deeming a person a threat to the well-being of the society as a whole. Euthyphro provides such a scenario in which Socrates seeks to defend himself against the charge of misleading and corrupting the Athenian young generation by speaking his mind or rather questioning the religious concepts and beliefs blindly held and followed by the majority of the population in the society. Socrates examines Euthyphro’s understanding of piety as a reference for arguing his case against his indictment and thus providing a platform for assessing Meletos’ charge and delivering a verdict on the case.
Socrates begins his inquest by asking Euthyphro, “what do you say the pious is, and what is the impious?” (Plato, 2015) The latter answers the question by justifying prosecution of his father for the murder of their servant murderer as it is expected of the religious guidelines and laws that should be upheld irrespective of filial relations whenever a sinful or criminal act is committed. Euthyphro goes further and alludes to the religious story of Zeus condemning his ...