EUTHYPHRO
Some Questions
SOME QUESTIONS TO START WITH:
- In what way is the dramatic setting significant for the story of Socrates and for his raising the issue that the dialogue addresses ('the holy')?
- Who is Meletus? (Compare the Apology) What is his legal standing that allows him to accuse Socrates?
- What is the actual charge against Socrates? (Compare the Apology and Xenophon's Memorabilia )
- Why is Euthyphro the other principal character in this two-character play?
- Is Socrates (Plato) playing fair in selecting Euthyphro as his respondent for the topic?
- What are the changes in psychological attitude toward Socrates that we see Euthyphro undergoing in this dialogue?
- How much is this due to the 'method' (the Socratic method') and how much due to the 'matter'?
- What is the conclusion of the discussion, as far as defining 'the holy' is concerned?
NOTE: If your interest is in the connection between rhetoric and philosophy, or in the formal aspects of arguing in a philosophical manner, you will be interested in reading Part I of R. Robinson, Plato's Earlier Dialectic 2nd ed. (Oxford 1953), pp. 1-32.
07/16/2003
