Euthyphro

Wow... the first of four texts on Socrates has really scared me away from wanting to read the rest. I could grasp the first 10 (ish) pages, though not fully. After that, I think I was a lost cause.

I think that Euthyphro is a prominent (though not as important as he thinks) member of the society. Socrates clearly knows him well enough to confuse the hell out of him. Socrates must have conversations like these quite often, because he is pretty skilled and quick at making people concede their defeat. But back to Euthyphro. What could he possibly gain from persecuting his own father. If he doesn't speak out against him, disgrace will come to his family, but people can separate father from son. If he does persecute his father, he viewed as an arrogant jerk in case that has some strange twists (to say the least).

Euthyphro thinks he is being pious to the Gods. I think he was just looking for a really good excuse, and instead, ends up fighting Socrates over what piety is. I cannot figure out what Socrates is trying to prove about Euthyphro actions by discussing piety. I think being pious is one of many reason Euthyphro is persecuting his father. Socrates takes piety to a whole new level of reason (that I can't exactly understand).

I'll write more later after I re-read the text and figure out the four places where Euthyphro tries to explain exactly what he thinks piety involves. I am betting that his explanation is a lot easier and more compact than Socrates explanation on piety.