EUTHYPHRO DILEMMA Meaning and
Definition
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The Euthyphro dilemma is a philosophical problem that was first presented in Plato's dialogue, Euthyphro. It raises questions concerning the nature of morality and the relationship between God and ethics. The dilemma revolves around the following question: "Is something morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is morally good?"
The first horn of the dilemma suggests that moral goodness is dependent on and determined by God's commands. In this view, an action is right or wrong solely because God has deemed it to be so. Moral values and duties are therefore arbitrary, as they are subject to the whims of God's commands. This position faces the challenge of a potentially arbitrary morality, where ethical principles lack any objective basis.
The second horn argues that God commands certain actions because they are inherently morally good. God recognizes and commands actions that are independently right, irrespective of His divine command. This perspective implies the existence of objective moral values that exist outside of God, which causes a potential issue for religious believers who believe in divine law as the foundation of morality.
The Euthyphro dilemma questions the relationship between God and morality, forcing individuals to grapple with the issue of whether God creates moral principles or if morality exists independently of God's commands. Regardless of one's perspective on the dilemma, it has significant implications for moral philosophy and religious ethics.
Etymology of EUTHYPHRO DILEMMA
The word "Euthyphro dilemma" refers to a philosophical problem named after the character Euthyphro in Plato's dialogue, "Euthyphro". The dialogue discusses the nature of piety or holiness. The term "dilemma" refers to a situation where one has to choose between two equally undesirable options. Hence, the "Euthyphro dilemma" is the dilemma presented in Plato's dialogue, where Socrates asks whether a specific action is morally good because the gods approve it, or if it is morally good independently of the gods' approval. The term "Euthyphro dilemma" came into use within philosophical discourse as a way to reference this particular problem.
