Overview
Philosophy 1 - Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2025
Exam #1
Write one essay. The essay should be typed and double-spaced, approximately three pages. DO NOT USE THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH THESE QUESTIONS. Anything cited or downloaded from the internet will be considered plagiarism. See syllabus for penalties for plagiarism.
Try to make your answers as complete as possible, that is, when in doubt, explain. Write your essay in your own words; no quotes, please. Resist the temptation to quote from texts; instead, explain in your own words. You may use a quote to fortify an argument or explanation but not in lieu of an explanation. Your essays should be based on the assigned readings and classroom discussions, not on outside materials or sources.
1) Choose a or b:
a) In his second attempt to define "piety," Euthyphro states: "What is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious." Explain why Socrates thinks this is a better definition than Euthyphro’s first attempt, and why he is still not satisfied with this definition. How do Socrates' questions and objections exemplify the Socratic method? What does Socrates mean by the "form," and why does Euthyphro's second definition of piety fail to reveal the form? How does the allegory of "the cave" illustrate Plato's theory of forms?
b) Euthyphro’s third definition of “piety” is: “The pious is what all the gods love and the opposite, what all the gods hate, is the impious." Is this definition an improvement over the second definition? If so, why? Why does Socrates respond with the following question: “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?" How is the inadequacy of Euthyphro’s third definition seen within the context of Plato’s story of the cave?