Vices and Virtues

In this section if Plato’s Euthyphro, we can see that there are different virtues and vices that Euthyphro possesses. We can see that his virtues consist mostly of being pious and through this piety he believes that he gains the virtue of justice and integrity. Her demonstrates this when he states that he was willing to turn in his father to the law so that justice may be done. He believes that these things are right because it is what the gods want and what the gods believe to be right and just. But as Socrates shows us, Euthyphro also has vices. Euthyphro doesn’t really know why his actions are just, he just believes that his actions will please the gods, but Euthyphro has already admitted that the gods fight over many different things so how can he truly base anything off of what the gods believe to be right and just? Euthyphro’s vice is his misunderstanding od his own actions. He has no knowledge of where his virtues come from so that begs the question, is he really as pious as he makes himself out to be? I believe that Socrates is trying to show us that if we don’t know why we believe certain things to be right and just, then are we really as great as we believe.