I. Greek religion was ritualistic- no specific doctrines, no priests, no confessions, no dogma; just a social participation in common rituals in support of the State. SO atheism could not be a private matter- it angered the gods and turned them against the state. Therefore, impiety was a matter of public concern- the success of Athens was founded on the support of the gods, and the rituals were essential to their favors. Almost political.
II. Socrates, in these early dialogues, accepted the supernatural (e.g., his personal daemon). However, he did not worship, follow the customary rituals or believe in the City’s gods- the distinctions were not sharp at the time. Many others questioned or made fun of the gods, but his version may have been more threatening because he was teaching a rational method .
III. His gods are supernatural and yet rational, as long as they are rationally moral. The gods don’t love the holy without reason- they love the holy because it is good for some rational reason(s)- the Gods are not arbitrary. The entailment of virtue by wisdom applies to gods and men- a rational moral universe encompassing both. Tradition and traditional religion can’t be a sufficient guide for moral action- must use reason, for tradition can offer conflicting rules- “guilty must suffer” vs. “honor thy father”. Religion is, for Socrates, as an inspiration for moral thinking, not a substitute.
IV. HOWEVER, such rational gods, while still supernatural, are not the conventional Greek gods- can’t be placated with prayers and sacrifices. He rejects piety as = praying and sacrificing. If so, it would reduce piety to a series of commercial exchanges (e.g., magic). Any good we have comes from them- their favor would be a gift for us and a swindle for them. Man is not a self-seeking beggar beseeching honor-hungry gods, and cajoling them with sacrifices, to do a good that is not w/in the gods’ minds. Instead, men address gods who are relentlessly beneficent- they want nothing for men but what men should rationally want anyhow (because it is virtuous, even if men don’t understand it)
V. What is the work pleasing to the gods? Perfecting our own soul, especially Socrates’ search for truth by bringing others along through the elencthus. Piety is doing god’s work to perfect human beings. Altruism in such a conception: we devote ourselves to a god who asks only that we do for others what he himself would do if in our shoes. Piety reaches beyond personal happiness. Socrates takes on his thankless task of moral instruction because his piety bids him do so. THEREFORE piety= knowledge of how to give aid to the gods in promoting wisdom in other men.
VI. Socrates challenged the gods of the State, as charged. He required gods of a thoroughly moral nature- acting only to cause good to others, never evil. Euthyphro, however, specifically finds the reason for Socrates’ prosecution in his references to a private daemon- introducing a new divinity. Socrates’ condemnation on the charge of impiety is caused by a fundamental misunderstanding of the true nature of holiness. Piety is better seen in questioning, than in unthinking acceptance.
VII. Is he really a champion of reason, when he believed in seers, divine signs and his own daemon? Not clearly, but he always regarded the signs as needing to be tested by reason. Does his claim to have a personal daemon contradict such a rational picture? NO. Such is not knowledge- just an inspiration, which must itself be validated through subsequent reasoning. Only thru the use of his own critical reason can he learn the meaning of the signs of the daemon.