The Euthyphro Dilemma by Plato is a dialogue between Euthyphro and Socrates wherein they discuss their ignorance on the nature of piety. Moreover, what is piety? and its various definitions, none of which, that please Socrates. In addition, both are in search of its nature and continuously create proposals and revisions that fueled the endless circle. The Euthyphro Dilemma contains philosophical implications that make you question the moral authority of God and validity of what is considered to be morally good.
The main essence of Euthyphro’s dilemma is the phrase “Do the gods love what is pious because it is pious, or it is pious because the gods love it.” It questions whether what is morally correct is arbitrary by God or is essentially truly morally correct. The first horn discusses that the gods love what is right solely because it is right. It implies that gods are of different standard in which they determine what is good. Therefore, gods and goodness are of distinct levels. Hence, why do the gods love goodness? Simply due to the reason that it has become the standard for morality.
Thus, morality is not reliant on God. The second horn addresses that something is morally good because it is commanded by God. Essentially, it is the Divine Command Theory. According to Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Divine Command Theory is the view that morality is somehow dependent upon God, and that moral obligation consists in obedience to God’s commands.” Morality is determined by the character or commands of God. If God deems something good one day but changes it the next day, we must believe that it is rational as it is under His authority. Therefore, we must only appeal to God but completely rely on his will.
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Socrates, on the search of the truth, has continuously opposed and given propositions. For instance, Socrates counters Euthyphro, knowing that all gods may never have the same beliefs, “So it is in no way surprising if your present action, namely punishing your father, may be pleasing to Zeus but displeasing to Cronus and Uranus, pleasing to Hephaestus but displeasing to Hera, and so with any other gods who differ from each other on this subject. ” Throughout this discussion, Socrates could never settle the nature nor the definition of pious. In my perspective, I agree with the first position that God wills something because it is good.
