Morality and Religion

We often learn morality from religion, but that is an explanation, not a justification

We often learn morality from religion, but that is an explanation, not a justification Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro concerns this relationship

We often learn morality from religion, but that is an explanation, not a justification Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro concerns this relationship Socrates isn’t sure what Euthyphro is doing is pious

We often learn morality from religion, but that is an explanation, not a justification Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro concerns this relationship Socrates isn’t sure what Euthyphro is doing is pious Euthyphro says this means you don’t know what piety is

We often learn morality from religion, but that is an explanation, not a justification Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro concerns this relationship Socrates isn’t sure what Euthyphro is doing is pious Euthyphro says this means you don’t know what piety is Socrates: so, what is piety?

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy:

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy: Take hypothesis H Show that the logical consequence of H is something contradictory Therefore H must be false

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy: The gods disagree about many things

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy: The gods disagree about many things So, that means the same things are loved by the gods and hated by the gods

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy: The gods disagree about many things So, that means the same things are loved by the gods and hated by the gods So, the same thing would be pious and impious

1st Attempt What’s pious is what’s loved by the gods Refutation uses “reductio ad absurdum” strategy: The gods disagree about many things So, that means the same things are loved by the gods and hated by the gods So, the same thing would be pious and impious That’s impossible  so H is false

2nd Attempt Ok, what all the gods love is what is pious

2nd Attempt Ok, what all the gods love is what is pious Depends on what the meaning of “is” is

2nd Attempt Ok, what all the gods love is what is pious Depends on what the meaning of “is” is

2nd Attempt Ok, what all the gods love is what is pious Depends on what the meaning of “is” is We use “A is B” for predication as well as definition

2nd Attempt Ok, what all the gods love is what is pious Depends on what the meaning of “is” is We use “A is B” for predication as well as definition “The pious is loved by the gods” is true, but isn’t a definition – because it doesn’t account for why the gods would love something

So, which? 1. It’s good because the gods love it or 2. The gods love it because it’s good

So, which? 1. It’s good because the gods love it or 2. The gods love it because it’s good Plato: 1 is incoherent

So, which? 1. It’s good because the gods love it or 2. The gods love it because it’s good Plato: 1 is incoherent 2 means that the moral value is a function of intrinsic properties

3rd Attempt Piety is service to the gods

3rd Attempt Piety is service to the gods But the only sense of “service” Euthyphro can come up with is doing what is pleasing to the gods, so he gives up.

3rd Attempt Piety is service to the gods But the only sense of “service” Euthyphro can come up with is doing what is pleasing to the gods, so he gives up. But he did think that being pious had to be somehow related to justice – so, combined with the result of the 2nd argument, we can conclude that there is an independent right and wrong, just and unjust, to be discovered by reason.