1. In the dialogue that bears his name, Euthyphro offers several different possible definitions of ‘piety’. Here are three of his proposed definitions: (A) What’s pious is what the gods love, and what’s impious is what the gods hate. (B) What’s pious is what all the gods love, and what’s impious is what all the gods hate. (C) What’s pious is knowledge of how to ask things from the gods, and how to give things to the gods.

Please write an essay on one of the topics below. Your essay must not exceed five pages, and must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins and 12-point fonts, and must be a WORD (.doc or .docx) document.

Your essay must demonstrate engagement with the relevant text. At a minimum, this means supporting your attributions with quotations and/or references to the page number on which the attributed claim can be found. In other words, whenever you attribute a view to Socrates, back up that attribution with a quotation and/or page reference.

You must not consult sources beyond our textbook and your lecture notes. Your paper will receive a failing grade if I find that it borrows from any source other than our textbook and your lecture notes.

TOPIC:

1. In the dialogue that bears his name, Euthyphro offers several different possible definitions of ‘piety’. Here are three of his proposed definitions:

(A) What’s pious is what the gods love, and what’s impious is what the gods hate.

(B) What’s pious is what all the gods love, and what’s impious is what all the gods hate.

Along with these definitions, Euthyphro seems to accept various principles, so that each definition actually represents a small set of views (usually three). Socrates raises objections to each set. In this essay, (i) explain in detail Socrates’s attacks on each set, and (ii) critically evaluate Socrates’s attacks – that is, present and explain ways in which Euthyphro could or should have responded to each one of Socrates’s attacks.