PHI 105 UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS COMPLETE
STUDY GUIDE
●● What definition does Socrates suggest as a replacement? Is Socrates
satisfied with this definition? Why or why not?
Answer: Definition he suggests as a replacement is that pious is what all
the gods love. Socrates is not satisfied with this definition because it
does not address a fundamental question: it does not explain why things
are pious or not pious—it says everything is pious is something loved by
all the gods, but it doesn't answer question of what MAKES something
pious or what the essence of being pious is... Is something pious because
it is loved by the gods, or is it loved by the gods because it is pious?
●● In Euthyphro, Socrates asks: "Is the pious being loved by the gods
because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?"
What question is he asking here, and what does he think is the right
answer?
Answer: Something is not pious because it is loved by the gods. The
property of being pious is logically independent of the property of being
loved by the gods. Piety is a property that is independent of the attitudes
of the gods. A discussion of piety is a discussion of righteousness. Is an
action right, because god commands it or does god command it because
it's right? Is an action wrong because god prohibits it, or does god
prohibit it because it's wrong? Is it independent or dependent of god's
,will. Is something desirable because we desire it or do we desire it
because it's desirable?
●● What two arguments does Socrates give to rebut the charge that he
has willingly corrupted the youth of Athens?
Answer: The two arguments that Socrates gives to rebut the charge are
1. The content he has taught. What he has taught the youth of Athens is
that the good life is the virtuous life and that the most important thing to
want for oneself is virtue. The thing we should want most for ourselves
is being virtuous, more important than power, fame, and money—it
trumps all. Someone who teaches that is doing the opposite of corrupting
the young people. Corrupting the youth would be teaching them that
money and power trump all other things.
2. It wasn't what he was trying to do, maybe his teachings misfired. He
can't be guilty of intentionally corrupting them—maybe he accidentally
corrupted them, in that case he did not intentionally corrupting them.
He's being charged with intentionally corrupting the youth, but that has
no merit.
●● What, according to Socrates, has he tried to teach the young people
of Athens?
Answer: According to Socrates, he has tried to teach the young people of
Athens that the good life is the virtuous life, the most valuable thing in
life is virtue, virtue is what one should want most for oneself, that virtue
is more important than fame, status, money, and wealth.
, ●● Which is better, according to Socrates, a long, rich, powerful,
famous, and vicious life or a short, poor, humble, obscure but virtuous
one? Why?
Answer: According to Socrates, a short, poor, humble, obscure, but
virtuous life is better because a person is to be understood as identical to
their soul, what is good for a person's soul is good for them, and what is
bad for a person's soul is bad for them. Vice and viciousness is bad for a
person's soul. If one has a long, rich, powerful, famous, but vicious life it
is a bad life because it is bad for your soul and vice versa. Anything
good for your soul is truly good for you and vice versa.
●● Why, according to Socrates, does it make no sense for him to fear
death?
Answer: He cannot be harmed by death. Since a person commits no
vicious act in dying, death cannot harm them. A person can be harmed
only by what harms their soul, a person's soul can only be harmed by a
vicious act.
●● Why would showing fear of death be inconsistent with Socrates'
general teaching?
Answer: Because it would suggest that one can be harmed by something
other than a vicious act or one can be harmed by something other than
something with harm to one's soul.
●● Why is Socrates sentenced to death? What "punishment" does he
think he deserves and why?
AND CORRECT ANSWERS COMPLETE
STUDY GUIDE
●● What definition does Socrates suggest as a replacement? Is Socrates
satisfied with this definition? Why or why not?
Answer: Definition he suggests as a replacement is that pious is what all
the gods love. Socrates is not satisfied with this definition because it
does not address a fundamental question: it does not explain why things
are pious or not pious—it says everything is pious is something loved by
all the gods, but it doesn't answer question of what MAKES something
pious or what the essence of being pious is... Is something pious because
it is loved by the gods, or is it loved by the gods because it is pious?
●● In Euthyphro, Socrates asks: "Is the pious being loved by the gods
because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?"
What question is he asking here, and what does he think is the right
answer?
Answer: Something is not pious because it is loved by the gods. The
property of being pious is logically independent of the property of being
loved by the gods. Piety is a property that is independent of the attitudes
of the gods. A discussion of piety is a discussion of righteousness. Is an
action right, because god commands it or does god command it because
it's right? Is an action wrong because god prohibits it, or does god
prohibit it because it's wrong? Is it independent or dependent of god's
,will. Is something desirable because we desire it or do we desire it
because it's desirable?
●● What two arguments does Socrates give to rebut the charge that he
has willingly corrupted the youth of Athens?
Answer: The two arguments that Socrates gives to rebut the charge are
1. The content he has taught. What he has taught the youth of Athens is
that the good life is the virtuous life and that the most important thing to
want for oneself is virtue. The thing we should want most for ourselves
is being virtuous, more important than power, fame, and money—it
trumps all. Someone who teaches that is doing the opposite of corrupting
the young people. Corrupting the youth would be teaching them that
money and power trump all other things.
2. It wasn't what he was trying to do, maybe his teachings misfired. He
can't be guilty of intentionally corrupting them—maybe he accidentally
corrupted them, in that case he did not intentionally corrupting them.
He's being charged with intentionally corrupting the youth, but that has
no merit.
●● What, according to Socrates, has he tried to teach the young people
of Athens?
Answer: According to Socrates, he has tried to teach the young people of
Athens that the good life is the virtuous life, the most valuable thing in
life is virtue, virtue is what one should want most for oneself, that virtue
is more important than fame, status, money, and wealth.
, ●● Which is better, according to Socrates, a long, rich, powerful,
famous, and vicious life or a short, poor, humble, obscure but virtuous
one? Why?
Answer: According to Socrates, a short, poor, humble, obscure, but
virtuous life is better because a person is to be understood as identical to
their soul, what is good for a person's soul is good for them, and what is
bad for a person's soul is bad for them. Vice and viciousness is bad for a
person's soul. If one has a long, rich, powerful, famous, but vicious life it
is a bad life because it is bad for your soul and vice versa. Anything
good for your soul is truly good for you and vice versa.
●● Why, according to Socrates, does it make no sense for him to fear
death?
Answer: He cannot be harmed by death. Since a person commits no
vicious act in dying, death cannot harm them. A person can be harmed
only by what harms their soul, a person's soul can only be harmed by a
vicious act.
●● Why would showing fear of death be inconsistent with Socrates'
general teaching?
Answer: Because it would suggest that one can be harmed by something
other than a vicious act or one can be harmed by something other than
something with harm to one's soul.
●● Why is Socrates sentenced to death? What "punishment" does he
think he deserves and why?
