Euthyphro

This is the first dialogue in the series "The Trial and Death of Socrates." It is right before Socrates' trial. He meets Euthyphro in a courtyard. Euthryphro is there prosecuting his own father for murder. This is considered very abnormal--normally it is virtuous for one to side with one's father--but in this case, Euthyphro believes he knows that it is the most virtuous to prosecute his father in this case, for he believes he knows better than anyone what is virtuous concerning piety--that is, what the gods want us to do.

S. proposes having E. explain to him what piety is, since E. is such a big expert on piety, and the main dialogue begins. From the beginning, E. has a huge ego, and S. flatters him and pretends that by having this dialogue with him, S. might learn from him what piety really is and therefore be saved in his upcoming trial.

This is never made explicitly clear, but I got the strong feeling that S. was really being ironic/mocking towards E. It was really quite funny to me as I'm somewhat familiar with Socrates' personality already. He's constantly flattering Euthyphro with saying, "you're totally the most knowledgeable on piety, and I really want to know what answers you have to this question [that I already know from considerable experience is not answerable] so that it will save me in my trial..." haha, as if.

Some context: later on in the trial Socrates will say that he has made many people angry at him because he has interviewed all kinds of people who thought they were wise and discovered by his line of questioning that they were not wise at all. And that's what is really happening with E.; Socrates is being polite about it, but he is showing that E.'s ideas boil down to circular reasoning. I feel like the flattering way he talks to E. is very tongue-in-cheek, and either E. doesn't realize that or goes along with it anyway.

Some quotes that I really liked:
3c "...the Athenians do not mind anyone they think clever, as long as he does not teach his own wisdom, but if they think he makes others to be like himself they get angry, whether through envy, as you say, or for some other reason." -- I think this cultural phenomenon is both amusing and also explains why Plato chose to do all of his famous writings through the words of Socrates instead of himself.

14d "I prefer nothing, unless it is true." -- Quotes like this make me feel that Socrates and I would have been kindred spirits if we could have known each other.

I tracked the main argument of Euthyphro as thus:

12d Piety is a part of justice.
12e Justice is care towards others. Piety is care of the gods, and the part of Justice that is not piety is care of people.
13d Instead of talking of "caring" for the gods, we actually mean more like "service" towards the gods. For we don't "care" for them the way a hunter cares for his dogs or a stablemaster cares for horses.
14d Piety is really the study of how to give and how to get from the gods. My sidenote: is this a good definition? If we compare this to how an underling relates to a general or an aide to a politician, would this hold up? Maybe.
14e So piety is a trading skill between us and the gods.
15a-b We can't benefit the gods at all. They only benefit from our "honor, reverence, and [...] gratitude." I'm pretty sure the implication--if I'm reading this right--is that they are saying that these are not really benefits. In 14e Socrates mentions that the gods get no goods from us in trade. So it sounds like they are only considering physical goods or tangible services as valid units of trade.
15b Socrates says that Euthyphro's reasoning is circular, that he's really just saying that piety is what is dear to the gods, and what is dear to the gods is piety.

15a-b is where I would diverge in the dialogue. If I were there I would say that "honor, reverence, and gratitude" could actually be what the gods are totally after. That could count as a valid thing to trade to them in exchange. I would posit the example of a parent with children.

Why does the parent raise children? Do they children give them any tangible good, or render useful services to the parent that are commensurate with the vast amount of time and money the parent pours into the child? Clearly not. The parent raises the child so that the parent can have certain experiences, for example, so the parent can witness what it's like for a smaller version of themselves to grow up, and get to see something they are cultivating thrive and hopefully even see the world made a better place by their progeny.

So therefore the gods could do the same with us.

Reading dialogues always makes me really wish I was there to hear how they would respond. I'd like to imagine that someday in the afterlife I will get that chance.

Maybe Socrates would counter by saying, "ok, but why do the gods desire to have those experiences?" I would probably get stuck at that point.

This is definitely a solid dialogue worth reading. One doesn't have to believe in the same gods to appreciate the argument; just substitute the name of the god you believe in or call it Higher Truth or whatnot; the questions are still just as important and we should all ask ourselves what it really is to do right by God/The Universe.

I hope everyone reads this and several of Plato's other dialogues at some point. Contrary to popular belief, it's not hard to read Plato. Honestly, it's extremely straightforward, the opposite of how modern philosophers write just to impress themselves. Plato is very accessibly written, and Socrates' wit and humor make the philosophy go down just as easy as candy.