POLI 310 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Meletus
18 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Euthyphro is a smartass prosecutor who believes he has a super-human understanding of piety and divinity (specifically, what the gods want). Euthyphro reveals that he wants to prosecute his own father, saying that not doing so would allow impiety to run rampant (it doesn"t matter to him that the impiety is embodied in his own father). Euthyphro believes that those who are hateful, contemptible, and shameful, ought to be prosecuted. Although everybody is indignant towards euthyphro prosecuting his own father, Euthyphro cites zeus (who all athenians believe is the most just god) and zeus" act of binding and attacking his own father. Euthyphro claims that athenians are contradicting themselves in agreeing with zeus but not him. Essentially, euthyphro claims that he is ultimately pious and knows what the gods want. He ignores the good, the just, and the beauty of the city (nomos) in favor of his understanding of the gods.
