Socrates

The Euthyphro dialogue is essentially a conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro each of who attempt to argue their point of justification about why they are in court or should not be there, which in turn a question develops about the gods and holiness. Euthyphro has a surprise encounter beside the porch of the king responsible for overseeing religious law. Euthyphro asks Socrates why he is there. Socrates states he has being persecuted by Meletus for corrupting the youth with his ideals about predictions of the future. Socrates in turn asks Euthyphro about his reason for being in court. He replies stating that he is bringing charges against his father for the murder of one of the family’s day laborers. Socrates shocked that Euthyphro is bringing charges against his own father, probes deeper into the nature of the crime. He states that surly his father is a man of advanced wisdom and it must have been a murder of a relative. Euthyphro responds with a brief account of the crime and how is occurred. Euthyphro tells Socrates that the day laborer was drunk and butchered a servant. The father bound the day laborer’s hands and feet and threw him in a ditch while he fetched religious authority on how to handle the matter. While in a ditch the man died from hunger and exposure.
He further states that his family is angry because he is prosecuting his father on behalf of a murderer and they believe it is unholy for a son to prosecute his own father. Socrates suggests that Euthyphro must be an expert on holiness if he is willing to proceed with the prosecution. Euthyphro agrees. Socrates then requests that Euthyphro teach him what holiness is, as it may help him in his own trial, thus the dialogue about what holiness is begins. They briefly joke about their cases, with Socrates saying that if Meletus agreed that Euthyphro is an expert surely he is too and would drop his case and pursue his teacher for corrupting the elderly. Socrates then asks Euthyphro to teach