The Death Penalty In Plato's Euthyphro And Socrates

Socrates was a great Philosopher and thinker who were able to take his knowledge to greater heights from Ancient Athens. Due to Socrates great thinking and open-mindedness he was accused by many but persecuted with two charges, which were brought against him. In Plato’s Euthyphro, Socrates challenged Euthyphro for a solid definition of ‘what is piety’. In Apology Plato goes on to state the charges which had been set against Socrates, but while doing so Plato juggles the readers mind whether Socrates was guilty of any of these charges. Plato brings the reader to and argument between Socrates and Crito in the Crito dialogues. This argument is to determine whether Socrates should run away or face the death penalty/during the argument Socrates

Euthyphro’s first attempt to define ‘what is piety ‘is when he said “pious is to do what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer”(Plato 5d-5e). Because Socrates knew “by suing his own father, Euthyphro appears to be crazy, since it would not be most usual to persecute a relative on behalf of an outsider” (McPherran 108) he urged Euthyphro to explain his self further for better understanding. Euthyphro could not justify his reason why this definition was the sure definition for piety, hence he went to the four other definition such as “piety is what is loved by the gods (6e-9d), piety is what is loved by all the gods (93-11b), piety is that part of justice which assists the gods to produce their most beautiful product (11e-14b) and piety is an art of prayer and sacrifice (14b-15c)” (McPherran 107). Even with these definitions Socrates destroyed Euthyphro way of thinking and made him return to his very first definition. “Without the least hesitation, Euthyphro swallows the bait by agreeing with suggestion” (McPherran 108). The suggestion in which Socrates made to inform Euthyphro, his idea of ‘what is piety’ was not the idea not

The first sets of charges against Socrates are from Plato 19a-24a where the early accusers accused Socrates of being a physicalist and sophist. These charges in truth were false and were not placed against him. The next sets of charges against Socrates were specific charges found in Plato 24b-28a. These charges were made by Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon. The accused charges Socrates was acquitted guilty for were corruption of the youth, and impiety. For these charges Meletus demanded death penalty which Socrates received at the end of the trial. Socrates was guilty for corrupting the youth not in a bad way but a good way. He corrupted the youth by educated them and trying to keep them out of trouble and the bad of the community. Yet on the other hand Socrates was not guilty for being impiety. Socrates says “ I do not have the leisure to engage in public affairs to any extent, not indeed to look after my own, but I like in great poverty because my service to the gods” (23b). Therefore making Socrates not guilty of being