Myth and the Structure of Plato’s Euthyphro

International Philosophical Quarterly 52 (1):41-62 (2012)
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Abstract

Moving beyond the piecemeal approach to the Euthyphro that has dominated much of the previous secondary literature, I aim in this article to understand the dialogue as an integrated whole. I argue that the question of myth underlies the philosophical and dialogical progression of the Euthyphro. It is an adherence to traditional myth that motivates each of Euthyphro’s definitions and that also accounts for their failure. The dialogue thus presents a broad criticism of traditional myth. But, as Socrates’s references to Daedalus and Proteus show, myth can have a positive role and can be used for philosophical purposes.

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Daniel Werner
State University of New York (SUNY)

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References found in this work

Socratic Piety In The Euthyphro.Mark L. McPherran - 1985 - Journal of the History of Philosophy 23 (3):283-309.
Plato: Euthyphro 10a1-11a10.John C. Hall - 1968 - Philosophical Quarterly 18 (70):1-11.
Virtue without Knowledge.Roslyn Weiss - 1994 - Ancient Philosophy 14 (2):263-282.
Piety and the Unity of Virtue in Euthyphro 11e–14c.S. Calef - 1995 - Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 13:1-26.

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