Plato's Examined Life
According to Plato, while we ought to value living good lives, an examined life is the only life worth living. Plato expands upon Socrates' ideas of an examined life in many of his works. Such a life requires daily introspection and reflection on the life, especially on the nature of virtue. Socrates' goal is to install reason as the judge of one's drives. The lack of self-knowledge is, in the philosopher's opinion, a major killer of the examine life.
Plato's character, Euthyphro, is one who lacks self-knowledge. In Plato's story, Euthyphro files murder charges against his own father. When defending his actions, Euthyphro tells his side of the story to the philosopher Socrates.
He says that one of his dependent workers got drunk one night and killed a domestic servant of the family. When Euthyphro's father heard what had happened, he punished the worker severely by bounding him and leaving him unfed and unattended to.
Euthyphro's father then went to the religious authorities for advice on what to do about the murderer. While the father was contemplating his actions, the worker died of overexposure or starvation.
Euthyphro was very angry with his father and felt that his father deserved to be punished because of his treatment of the worker. His family and friends were outraged that he would even think such a thing, but Euthyphro was convinced.
Euthyphro tells Socrates that filing charges is the only pious thing to do. Euthyphro views himself as a deeply pious who is not like the others, who feel he should place loyalty to his family above all else, including doing what is morally correct.
Socrates tried to get Euthyphro to think about whether he really understands his own actions. He does this by asking Euthyphro what is the meaning of piety. Euthyphro gives examples of what he regards as pious behavior but Socrates says that a definition of piety must show what all examples of piety have in common. Euthyphro finally offers the following definition: Piety is that which is dear to the gods. Socrates next proceeds to show that this definition is inadequate....
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