The Most Confusing Part

I guess Mondays are not good days to discuss the deepest aspects of Socrates thoughts. The discussion between Euthyphro and Socrates that takes place on page 53 really is fascinating. It just amazes me that two humans could actually discuss this in a conversation, and that Socrates didn't sit around for years writing these things down (though he may have formulating these ideas for years, we will never know).

I think Anton's carrying bag example really helped me understand why are labeled as they are. The sentence by sentence piecing of the text also helped me understand the text better. I still do not feel like I completely grasp what Socrates means at each point in the text, but I do get the overall logic now.

Socrates basically proves that all Euthyphro has said to him is empty ideas based on the logical reasoning that Socrates goes through step by step. Even Socrates knows that Euthyphro could be confused by his explanation, and keeps asking him if he understands exactly what is going on. Of course Euthyphro would understand all of this, after all, HE is Euthyphro. Socrates argument really does follow logical steps of reasoning which basically end in disproving everything Euthyphro has said. Poor Euthyphro, he's already emotionally disraught over his father and now all of his pious reasons have been shot to pieces.

And the worst part of this whole situation, at least for Euthyphro, is that he doesn't even leave Socrates with a new definition. He just leaves really confused. This is how I felt when I first put down the book as well. All the definitions given in the text were clearly wrong, but Socrates didn't even find one to prove right. At first, this upset me, I like direct, clear answers! But now I realize that is would detract from teachings within the text itself of Socrates gave a definition. He wants Euthyphro to find for himself what the pious includes. And I think the reader can take the same message from the text.