"Euthyphro" by Plato
What is pious?
1. Euthyphro: "I say that the pious is to do what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer…. To do what the gods do."
2. Well then, what is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious.
3. I would certainly say that the pious is what all the gods love, and the opposite, what all the gods hate, is the impious.
4. I think, Socrates, that the godly and pious is the part of the just that is concerned with the care of the gods, while that concerned with the care of men is the remaining part of justice.
5. I say that if a man knows how to say and do what is pleasing to the gods at prayer and sacrifice, those are pious actions such as preserve both private houses and public affairs of state. The opposite of these pleasing actions are impious and overturn and destroy everything.
1. Euthyphro: "I say that the pious is to do what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer…. To do what the gods do."
2. Well then, what is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious.
3. I would certainly say that the pious is what all the gods love, and the opposite, what all the gods hate, is the impious.
4. I think, Socrates, that the godly and pious is the part of the just that is concerned with the care of the gods, while that concerned with the care of men is the remaining part of justice.
5. I say that if a man knows how to say and do what is pleasing to the gods at prayer and sacrifice, those are pious actions such as preserve both private houses and public affairs of state. The opposite of these pleasing actions are impious and overturn and destroy everything.