When Socrates questions Euthyphro, “what is the pious and what the impious”, Euthyphro

simply replies that pious is to “prosecute the wrongdoer”. (5e) However, Plato characterizes

Socrates as someone who constantly scrutinizes everything presented to him, thus Euthyphro’s

definition of piousness leave Socrates unsatisfied. What particularly bothers Socrates is that

Euthyohro’s definition of the word ‘wrong’ is vague. For what is wrong and what is right?

Euthyophro’s definition provides no insight to what is wrong, which means the word has to be

accessed by the user.

Euthyohro continues to define piousness (and in turn righteousness) as “what is dear to the

gods.”(7a) This definition however has loopholes as well. First of all, who are the Gods?

Socrates is charged with corrupting the youth, for “[creating] new gods while not believing in the

old ones.” (3b) While Socrates does not explicitly ask whose Gods Euthyphro is referring to, it is

clear that this issue persists with Euthyphro’s definition. The second issue with Euthyohro’s

definition is that it is not consistent with self. The Gods are always fighting each other because of

their different ideologies. Thus, Socrates points out that while one God may find something or

someone dear, another God may show hatred towards that same thing. In those cases is the

person pious? Socrates asks Euthyphro can “the same thing would be both pious and

impious?”(8a). Euthyphro confusingly replies, “I’m afraid so.”(8a) One of the last issues with

Euthyphros definition is that it does not explain what governs piousness. Is piousness an idea

created by Gods? Or, is it a concept that simply exists, something that can be explained easier by

mentioning the Gods but does not exist simply because of the Gods?

Euthyphro continues to deny that there are any issues with his definition of piousness. In turn

Socrates proposes a hypothetical. If there was a clear definition of piousness (what all the gods

believe is ‘right’) how does Euthyohro knows what he is doing is pious, and thus looked upon as

right in the eyes of the Gods? Euthyphro explains that he knows what he is doing is right despite

a lack of evidence. The lack of a clear answer from Euthyohro hints at the possibility that

Euthypho may simply be trying to undermine his family.