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Witness before the gates of night and day, Parmenides represents humanity's introduction to the eternal truth of definition - Is. The beast of mankind stumbles confusedly through an inescapable labyrinth of ignorance, arrogantly determined that the appearance of knowledge, bestowed upon him through traditional belief, is truth. "Know Thy Self" is the advice posted at the birthmark of creation, the naval of earth, Delphi - the truth of being. Humanity struggles against an inevitable insignificance. The impossibility of true knowledge pulses as the heart of Socratic philosophy. The unending argument of definition is revealed throughout the doctrines of the Socratic method of thought. Plato delivers the shadow of doubt from his creations through Socratic midwifery dialogue.
The ignorant soul within each individual that encounters Socrates discards the bulky weight of accepted falsities cluttering his mind. This revelation of inaptitude is an insult. Often the truth is shunned. Plato's Euthyphro is an ideal example of the Socratic method.
Embracing the topic of holiness, this dialogue captures the essence of ignorance. Euthyphro, the epitome of arrogance, perceives himself as the wise prophet of all things holy. Blinded by pride, he is uplifted from a state of false consciousness to the enlightenment of ignorance through the web of Socratic discussion. The misperception of being dawns from the earliest historical evidence of Greek culture and dusk's with the arrival of Socrates, the birth of definition.
Previous to Socrates, all conceptual understanding resided in analogy, the comparison of the concept to a tangible example. Speed was defined by the fastest man, and strength by the greatest warrior. Thus no true definition encompassed all circumstances to which a concept might be applied. The Socratic method is designed to force definition from the interlocutor. A cunning method is employed by Socrates to achieve his aims and must be thoroughly explained to understand how it is utilized in the Euthyphro.
Man is chained unawares to a futile destiny of eternal search. This thirst for an oasis of knowledge continually irritates the parched mind in the desert of life. Socrates, fully realizing this attribute as it pertains to true moral knowledge, persists in a quest to enlighten others. The initial impulse for his doctrine is a challenge: "None is wiser than he (Socrates) ." Apollo, speaking through the oracle at Delphi, originates this challenge. Initially, those whom converse with Socrates seem apprehensive of definitive statements. The full value of Socrates' impact on thought is felt through his refutation of definition by analogy, the method in accordance with Hellenic thought previous to his influence.
Inherent in this revelation is the difficulty of true definition. Once the interlocutor has been pressured into stating a belief with a purpose of encompassing all analogous examples, Socrates draws specific actions from the interlocutor that relate to the concept defined. By proving the inconsistencies existent between the example and the definition, the interlocutor is reduced to a state of "Aporia" (an inability to define the concept in terms consistent with his examples, to navigate a river previously assumed intelligible). The discussion continues in an effort to refine the moral concept discussed. Whether Socrates' objective is to inflict true moral beliefs, of which he is in possession, upon the interlocutor, or that the argument merely negates false opinions that help reduce the concept to more definable limits, must be ascertained. The manner in which this method applies to the Euthyphro will support grounds for believing the definition of a moral concept to be eternally inconclusive.
Socrates' own confession of ignorance acts as a buttress in support of this hypothesis. Socrates challenges Euthyphro's prosecution of his father as possibly "doing an unholy deed" (4 e). Euthyphro asserts that he would not differ "from the common herd of men, if I didn't understand the details of all things of this sort" (5 a). Thus we have ignorant Socrates discussing holiness with the self-proclaimed expert Euthyphro.
Socrates asks for a definition of holiness and is answered in analogy to Euthyphro's present circumstances "I say what is holy is what I'm doing right now, prosecuting a criminal for murder regardless of whether that person is one's father" (6 e). Here is an example familiar to Greek definition prior to Socrates' influence, giving a definition in analogous terms. Socrates explains the deficiency of this method, without directly challenging Euthyphro's actions, by stating that his prosecution is holy because it partakes of holiness. Socrates is adamant that Euthyphro give a definition upon which all actions could be compared as holy or unholy.
Through ironic flattery, Socrates manipulates Euthyphro into a firm definition: "what is agreeable to the gods is holy" (7 a). Socrates now demonstrates the inaccuracy of the statement by proving the inconsistency of the example when applied to the definition. Simply: if the gods quarrel, then not all are in agreement; the interpretation of mans actions may be agreeable to one god and disagreeable to another. Thus, what is holy can be simultaneously unholy, a proposition with which neither participant is satisfied.
The discussion continues in an effort to refine the moral concept of holiness, resulting in a circular argument with no definitive conclusion. However, the argument has negated principle characteristics of a supposed eventual definition. The distinction between the gods' approval and what is holy is complete. That holiness is an element of the just is asserted and agreed to, yet not properly proven. Gratification of the gods is an attribute of holiness. The absence of the definition leaves Socrates "in ignorance" (16 a) of holiness and proves that the wisest of all men is he who accepts and confronts this ignorance.
Several aspects of the Socratic dialogue have been neglected thus far. The argument itself transcends dependence on Socrates and Euthyphro and is discussed as a separate entity with a life and will of it's own. The "tendency for my verbal creations to run off and refuse to stay wherever I've tried to position them" (11 c) is the explanation offered by Socrates. The argument has a "Daedalan" (11 d) quality, as if man began a work and it assumed a life of its own. There is a dual nature to this metaphor.
Certainly it has the functional purpose of literary technique, adding credibility to the situation and the characters, who are more animated and life-like as a consequence. More importantly, by transcending the individuals involved this quality implies a progressive attribute inherent in discussion. It supports the positive aspect of argument hypothesized above. Although the definition of holiness is never completed, certain obstacles, false opinions, have been eluded through the argument. The individual could not progress towards definition without the aid of discussion. Since Euthyphro is unwilling to dedicate himself to the search for definition and abandons Socrates relatively quickly, we can not conclude that persistent argument will ever reach it's goal.
However, in the absence of further options, it is implied that argument is essential to refining opinion as near truth as is possible. The role of Apollo has been mentioned. Behind the argue...
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Research essay sample on Socratic Method True Definition
