PHL202H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Socratic Dialogue, Prodicus, Meletus
Document Summary
Socrates encounters euthyphro outside the court of athens. Socrates has been called to court on charges of impiety by meletus and euthyphro has come to prosecute his own father for having unintentionally killed a murderous hired hand. Socrates latters euthyphro by suggesting that he must be a great expert in religious matters if he is willing to prosecute his own father. Euthyphro concurs that he does indeed know all there is to be known about what is holy. Socrates urges euthyphro to instruct him and to teach him what holiness is, since euthyphro"s teaching might help socrates in his trial against meletus. Socrates inds this deinition unsatisfying, since there are many holy deeds aside from that (1): euthyphro suggests that holiness is persecuting religious ofenders of persecuting ofenders. Socrates asks euthyphro instead to give him a general deinition that identiies that one feature that all holy deeds share in common.
