This essay will argue that gods praise piety because piety is good. In his Euthyphro, Plato imposes a dilemmatic question to Euthyphro do the gods praise piety because piety is good, or is piety good because the gods praise it? There are several arguments made by Euthyphro and Socrates regarding this dilemma. Euthyphro believes gods praise piety because piety is good through several examples and definitions; piety is prosecuting a wrong-doer regardless if it is your father, piety is what is dear to the gods, and piety is what all gods love. As a result we conclude gods praise piety because piety is good.
To begin, the first example of piety given by Euthyphro is prosecuting a wrong-doer regardless if it is your father. Euthyphro is prosecuting his father for murder claiming his father had bound a man hand and foot and had neglected to pay attention to him, and this led to his passing. Euthyphro is convinced convicting a person –regardless if the wrong-doer is a relative– for murder is the holy thing to do. Socrates questions what the definitions of piety are, and what is about pious acts that make them pious. Euthyphro explains his situation against his father, and answers with only an example “…holy is what I am doing now.”1 Since Euthyphro is saying he is prosecuting his father for murder is pious, he believes as a result the gods will praise him for doing so. Socrates contrasts Euthyphro’s thought by saying isn’t it impious to prosecute his own father? Euthyphro responds with “…see what strong proof I give you that such is the law.”2 Euthyphro understands that even though he is against his father, but his father had gone against one of god’s commandments; thou shall not murder. As a conclusion it is found, that gods praise piety bec ...