Socrates c

Socratic Method
The movement of reason towards truth through a process of questions and answers
A question is asked, an answer given, a subsequent question reveals the inadequacy of the answer given, a new answer is given . . . And so on.
This continues until an acceptable answer is given or supplied, an impasse is reached, or the inquiry is abandoned or reformulated.

•Questioner does not add positive content

•This content is extracted from the person being questioned and consists only of what she already knew

•This positive content results from negation

–Importance of the negative

–“The negative is every bit as much positive” - Hegel

Euthyphro

•Note on editing

•Example of a “definitional dialog”

–Pious / Holy: terms are used interchangeably

•Precision possible?

– Socrates never answers his own questions

•Setting

•Euth: Piety is that which is loved by or dear to the gods; impiety is that which is not dear to the gods

•Soc: Is it loved by the gods because it is holy?

Is it holy because it is loved by the gods?

•Euth: It is loved because it is holy

•Soc: I asked for the essence of holiness, you only offer an attribute

Essence / Attribute

•Essence of X

that which makes X an X or that without which X would not be an X

Xness dependent on essence

X - essence = not X

•Attribute of X

characteristic or property of X: it is X and it also has a certain property or characteristic

Xness independent of attribute

X - attribute = X

•Euth: Piety is that which is dear to the gods

•Soc: We previously agreed this was an inadequate definition.
Now it is being put forward as adequate.
So we were right then and wrong now or vice versa.
We must begin anew and ask –
“What is piety?”

Significance of the Euthyphro

•Example of Socratic method – pursuing truth through reason

–Note positive outcome

•Introduces basic metaphysical categories – essence / attribute (a.k.a. accident)

•Lays a foundation for the development of secular ethics via a critique of the DCT
- Note: Atheists do not require this foundation since they would not accept the DCT in the first place

The Divine Command Theory (DCT)

Binds the idea of morality with the notion of God’s will as expressed through the giving or making of laws

Morality is simply doing God’s will
"Morally right" is that which is commanded by God
"Morally wrong" is that which is forbidden by God

Rephrase the Question:

•Is it loved by the gods because it is holy?
or
Is it holy because it is loved by the gods?

___to___

•Is it commanded by God because it is right?
or
Is it right because it is commanded by God?

The Euthyphro Dilemma

If the DCT is true, then either:

•Something is morally right because God commands it; command = essence

•Something is commanded because it is morally right; command = attribute

If command = essence
–God’s command is morally arbitrary

If command = attribute
–The moral standard is independent of God’s command

Neither outcome acceptable to most divine command theorists - it presents them with a dilemma

This may lead to the abandonment of the DCT

In turn, this may necessitate the development of . . .

Secular Ethics

•Morality not premised on theism

–The Euthyphro dilemma and its inherent critique of the DCT is a springboard for the study of secular ethics – the search for a non-theistically based standard for morality

•This does not entail the rejection of theism

–The Euthyphro dilemma and its inherent critique of the DCT is not an argument against either theism or religion

•Irony

–The moral arbitrariness that forms one leg of the critique of the DCT may be said to ultimately characterize secular ethics itself