The Trial and Death of Socrates as told through the writings of Plato is a great introductory read into the foundations of western philosophy. There are many concepts discussed in the text, several which are still today famously references. However, what stands out to me most is not any one particular topic but the way in which the topics are being presented; that is via dialectics.
Are we to examine this definition, Euthyphro, and see if it is a good one? Or are we to be content to accept the bare statements of other men or of ourselves without asking any questions?
When faced with a disagreement or an opposing point of view, how do you deal with it? When someone presses you on a matter that you starkly oppose or don’t understand, is your response to snap back or one-up that person to prove your point? Or do you instead shut down and try your best to ignore or side step the topic?
Whatever statement we put forward always somehow moves round in a circle, and will not stay where we put it. – Euthyphro in response to Socrates
Euthyphro, one of Socrates’ students, confided with him a dilemma he had, in which he was pressing charges on his father on counts of murder. On Socrates asking why the charges had been pressed, Euthyphro responded by saying his father’s acts were impious. Socrates then asks what the meaning of piety is. Euthyphro was then hard pressed to come up with a definitive answer.
Often we believe something to be either right or wrong because of the way we feel or because of what someone has told us. However, it is important to take a step back and really think about the reason why something is righteous or unjust. How you feel about something is not always a clear indicator of righteousness, for feelings are bias and can cloud judgment. We must also not completely trust what we are told without question, for we cannot be sure of the bias that someone is coming from. What we must do, for any matter, is to find the truth of it.
Piety by Euthypro’s definition is what is pleasing to the gods. Socrates challenges this definition by saying that all the Greek gods do not agree with each other, so what pleases one god does not necessarily please another, and therefore the definition is not definitive. A lot of back and forth happens and Euthypro ends up with the same definition he began with which is what is pleasing to the gods. Socrates continues to press for a definitive answer but Euthypro leaves in haste, most likely frustrated with the discussion not going anywhere. Yet, the reason why the discussion went in circles was because rather than attempting to get at the truth, Euthypro falls back to how he feels on the matter and what he has been told.
I couldn’t help but think about my country’s legislative branch of government and how they discuss important matters. How they often go about in circles of dialogue because rather than focus on the truth of the matter, they put all focus on how they feel about the issue or the political stance on which they are told to abide by. I think this is indeed a problem for politics in general, that the concern is not what is true.
Not focusing on what is true is an issue that goes beyond politics as well. From our environmental problems to our economy, when trying to come up with solutions to these problems we are often caught up in a never ending circle of feelings or heresy, rather than ending in a reasonable conclusion based on facts and logic.
When I was first reading these Socratic dialogues, I was a bit frustrated at Socrates constantly reiterating the same issue and asking the same question over and over again. I was able to empathize with the people Socrates was discoursing with. However, as I continued to read, my respect level for Socrates became higher and higher, because he was simply trying to get at the truth of the issue. Getting at the truth can be very difficult because one must navigate through emotion and heresy. I found Socrates effort to be noble.
Ultimately though, this line of discourse displeased the state and when he was put on trial for corrupting the youth and impiety he was found guilty and sentenced to death. There have been many establishments and enterprises that are built from lies and falsehoods, and the search for the truth have rocked their very foundations. And so it is still this case today.
The Black Ponderer 