Microfiction: Harming Euthyphro's dilemma

With some delay, I would like to present the microfiction that my students wrote for their third week of reading Plato's Meno. That week actually saw a pause on the Meno and instead involved a discussion of Plato's Euthyphro.

Euthyphro is a short and interesting dialogue exemplary for Socrates's typical 'what is'-questions. In this case, the question is on the definition of piety. Though different in content, there is therefore a formal likeness with what was discussed the week before.

The dialogue is also famous for what is know as 'Euthyphro's dilemma'. A short version of it goes like this: 'Are things good because God loves them or does God love them because they are good?' We discussed how this is the question of the independence of the value of goodness. Are certain acts good because God as an authority has decided that they are good, or are certain acts good because they are good, a value to which God is also answerable?

A third issue with this dialogue we discussed is the ending: Euthyphro leaves, but seems almost to flee. He suddenly says that he has somewhere else to be and cannot continue discussing the topic of piety with Socrates. We wondered why he does this. Socrates has, up until that point, shot down any attempt of Euthyphro at a definition of piety. He is now in a complete state of uncertainty and this is not a good place to be in for a self-proclaimed expert on the matter. Was Euthyphro harmed by his encounter with Socrates? Opinions on this question varied: while some thought that he was harmed, because he lost confidence in himself and his knowledge, others said that it is not a bad thing to bruise one's ego once in a while.


My assignment for this week's microfiction was:

In 10 words or fewer, write down Euthyphro's dilemma.

OR

In 10 words or fewer, write down how Euthyprho is harmed, or how he is not.

The result:

"God wills because good, good because God wills; Euthyphro's Dilemma."

"Something is right because it is right or agreed on."

"Is goodness intrinsically valuable or goodness is from an authority."

"Intrinsic values, normative values. I don't think it matters."

"Is everything good because God wills it, is good independent?"

"Is something good because God wills it or vice versa?"

"Something's right because people say it's right. No dilemma here."

"Do the gods decide what's pious? Or favour what's pious?"

"Goodness from God, or goodness from good."

"Are actions good because God wills it good or good independently?"

"Euthyphro's sense of moral correctness is shown to be problematic."

"Questioning about himself on his views."

"Socrates exposes the inconsistency in Euthyphro's belief."

"Questions his loyalty to Gods, bringing his father to justice?"

"Self-destruction means self-reconstruction."

"Egocentric, self-proclaimed God expert. Fails to give true definition."



I must say that there are some gems there.