Socrates on which Comes First: Good or God?
Is something good because God says so or does God say so because it's good. Plato has Socrates take up this question in an early dialogue, Euthyphro ( trans. Benjamin Jowett ) : Euth. Yes, I should say that what all the gods love is pious and holy, and the opposite which they all hate, impious. Soc. Ought we to enquire into the truth of this, Euthyphro, or simply to accept the mere statement on our own authority and that of others? What do you say? Euth. We should enquire; and I believe that the statement will stand the test of enquiry. Soc. We shall know better, my good friend, in a little while. The point which I should first wish to understand is whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the gods. Euth. I do not understand your meaning, Socrates. Soc. I will endeavour to explain: we, speak of carrying and we speak of being carried, of leading and being led, seeing and being seen. You know that in all su