Workshop in Ancient Philosophy (Thursday - Week 7, TT25)

Abstract: Many commentators (sometimes called ‘constructivists') think that Plato is inviting the reader of the Euthyphro to accept a specific conception of piety, despite the dialogue's overtly aporetic ending.  I agree with these commentators that how things end between Socrates and Euthyphro is not necessarily the end of the matter for us.  But I am going to take issue with some assumptions which constructivists generally make: in particular, that the reader’s attention is being drawn to one account of piety, and that Plato is encouraging us to accept that account.  Instead I shall argue that we are being invited to think for ourselves about a number of different accounts of the nature of piety: their merits and demerits are largely, though not wholly, left for the reader to determine.  In a sense, then, my view is that, after all, no conclusion is reached in the Euthyphro; but I prefer to think that it is rather that several conclusions are reached – and hence the title of this talk.