Introduction
A causal chain problem has always been an essential part of numerous philosophical questions and paradigms. The Euthyphro dilemma highly resembles chicken and egg problem, where the central debate revolves around of which causes which. However, the Euthyphro dilemma possesses much deeper meaning regarding religion and philosophy. In the Euthyphro by Plato, Socrates challenges the issue of piety by finding out a proper definition for the concept of truth (Plato 7). Although Socrates does not clearly define piety, he gives a more concise explanation of its properties.
Piety and Truth
The central question of the Euthyphro dilemma focuses on the cause and effect chain of piety and gods. Socrates asks if gods’ love makes something/someone pious or gods love something/someone because it was pious in the first place (Plato 7-12). The core problem lies in determining the nature of piety and truth. Socrates states that gods unanimously love the pious and it was not made so due to the gods, but despite them. In other words, piety is a cause of gods’ love for the pious, whereas other things cause piety itself. In addition, Socrates links the concept of truth with piety by suggesting that the truth is an essential part in determining the nature of piety (Plato 8-15). Evidently, Socrates was correct about the importance of accurate facts and how an objective observer is needed to comprehend the causal effect fully. However, Socrates does not clearly explain the roots of piety, but he describes its properties in detail.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Euthyphro dilemma challenges the concept of holiness and truth by giving a clear analogy regarding the gods’ love and piety. Socrates attempts to get a proper description of the pious and its relation to the gods, who love piety (Plato 11-12). The resulting statement claims that piety possesses a number of qualities, but the nature of piety can be partly explained with the concept of truth.
Work Cited
Plato. “Euthyphro.” Philosophyintrocourse, Web.