Lecture 6

Mar 5

Socrates and the Problem of Justice

Read the first page of the chapter commentary and all of Plato's dialogue, Euthyphro, pp 41-58. Look for this file among the readings posted on the Lecture class's Blackboard site.

In thinking about what's at stake in Plato's takedown of Euthyphro, consider the following:

If you're curious to read more of either book, both are available online through the BU Library portal.

For homework, write a response to ONE of the following questions:

  1. What's your opinion about the moral predicament faced by Euthyphro? What should he do?
  2. Given the difficulty of Euthyphro's predicament, why does Plato/Socrates think that he's a fool? What does Plato/Socrates think Euthyphro should do?
  3. What similarities (or differences) do you see between Plato/Socrates' treatment of Gorgias and their treatment of Euthyphro? What conclusion might you reach as to Plato/Socrates' political/philosophical objective?
  4. Based on these two dialogues, what relationship do you see between Plato and Socrates? Can/should they be meaningfully merged together, or do they stand at some remove from one another?

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