Holiness In Plato's Euthyphro-Plato

Euthyphro – Plato Holiness is a central theme in the Socratic dialogue with Euthyphro. Socrates has taken up the ironic role of a student in the narrative as he attempts to gain knowledge of what holiness entails, from Euthyphro. Socrates meets with Euthyphro as they meet at a court in Athens. He seeks to gain knowledge on holiness, such that, he can use the insights in his trial against Meletus. Earlier, Meletus had charged him for impiety in a court. This justifies the importance that has been placed on the idea. In the ensuing dialogue, Euthyphro serves different definitions of holiness to Socrates. However, each of these is questioned, casting ambiguity over his supposed knowledge. In his first attempt, Euthyphro defines holiness as persecution

However, Socrates argues that what is holy and what has been approved of the gods cannot be the same. He highlights the ambiguous argument that what is holy is determined by the gods, yet what is holy directs what the gods will approve. Simple reasoning dictates that the two cannot be perceived as the same. In another attempt, Euthyphro posits that holiness correlates to justice, in a religious sense. The teacher has defined it as justice focused on protecting the will and teachings of the gods. In that sense, he states that justice involves ‘looking after the gods’ (Plato. & Jowett, 2013). Socrates refutes this definition since he views that the gods do not need to be assisted by mortals. In his final attempt, Euthyphro defines holiness as an exchange between the gods and human beings. The gods receive sacrifices from us, while we they grant our prayers in exchange. In response, Socrates posits that this perspective implies correlates to the prior argument on the gods’ approval. He states that if holiness is gratifying to the gods, it is ambiguous as seen in the argument concerning what the gods approve, and the influences behind them (Plato. & Gallop,