Study Questions

  1. What definition of holiness does Euthyphro endorse, and what question does Socrates pose in response to this definition? What difficulties does Socrates’s question raise for Euthyphro’s theory? Is Socrates’s question relevant to contemporary debates about religion and morality? Why or why not?
  2. In the Crito, how does Socrates argue for the view that he is obligated to obey the laws of Athens? What do you think is the strongest objection to Socrates’s view? Do you think Socrates was right to submit to execution rather than escaping? Why or why not?
  3. What kind of a good does Socrates claim justice is? To whom is justice advantageous, on his view? How does he argue for this position? Do you agree with him?
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