In today's reading, Socrates brings up two types of judgment - one that can be measured, and one that cannot. We called these the "larger/smaller" arguments and the "beautiful/ugly" arguments. After discussion, the popular answer seemed to be that piety fell under the "beautiful/ugly" category.
Explain what kind of judgment piety is and why you think that is so. Make sure you include what each kind of judgment is and how piety falls under that category. Consider how a person judges whether something is larger or smaller, or beautiful or ugly. What are the different levels that each type of judgment contains, if any?
Please write in complete sentences and proper grammar.
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6 comments:
Beautiful/Ugly is a non-measurable arguement while Larger/Smaller is a measureble arguement, because tools such as scales, rulers and definitons can settle a definite anwer. Piety falls under the non-measureble arguemnet because it is opinion based, whether it is being argued by mankind or gods. This is because everyone is an individual and while some may agree an action to be pious, it can seen as impious to others. Euthyphro's definiton of piety was dismantled by Socrates. However if Euthyphro changes his definiton of piety to: "Piety is what is dear to ALL gods", then it will be considered a measureble arguemnt; because then the definition can pick out correct examples.
Piety is a non-measurable judgment, which we referred to as a Type II judgment. Cases that are about weight, height, and numbers are measurable, a case we referred to as Type I.
Euthyphro's "definition" of Piety is a Type II judgment as it does not rely on a form of measurement, but on opinion. When judging something whether to be smaller or larger, we use a form of accepted measurement to find the answer to which nobody can justly argue. But when the question is based on preference, the views differ and one can go on arguing justly as to why they prefer one while the other prefers the opposite. Euthyphro's "definition" of piety, what is dear to the gods, is an opinion, as what one god may find something dear, another may find not. Since it cannot pick out all correct examples due to the contradictions of the gods' opinions, it is not a Type I judgment. Therefore it can only be a Type II judgment.
We separated judgments into two categories. One of these judgment categories, Type I, consisted of measurable judgments. This category of judgment includes the "larger/smaller" arguments because physical size can be measured. These judgments cannot be contested; the correct measurement of something, whether with a ruler, thermometer, definition, etc., is absolute.
The second category of judgment, Type II, consisted of non-measurable judgments. This judgment category includes the "beautiful/ugly" arguments because whether something is considered to be beautiful or not is dependent upon individual opinion. Individual opinion can never be definite because it is shaped by the experiences, influences, and values of one's life, and nobody's lives are the same. Therefore, since individual opinion can never be definite, there can never be a definite answer as to whether something is beautiful or ugly, and all of the other non-measurable judgments. However, non-measurable judgments can become measurable if the quality being argued about can be defined. A common definition eliminates subjection of the argument to individual opinion, and creates a common understanding of the contested idea/quality. Definitions, therefore, can be viewed as forms of measurement, and therefore can turn a Type II judgment into a Type I judgement. piety is a Type II judgment because it is dependent upon individual values that determine what one believes to be right. However, if piety can be defined, individual values are invalidated because the definition lays out what is pious to begin with. A judgment of what is pious can then be categorized as a measurable, or Type I, judgment.
-Kirk Cameron
Piety most definetely falls under the category II or the non measurabel category.
Since piety as described by Euthyphro is "whatever the gods think is just", it must be that the gods are always right. There are a number of problems with this conclusion. One problem is that there is no real way of finding out what the gods think is just. Whatever the priests/ religious leaders think is just is basically what will be just if that is the definition. Another problem is that even if you can find out what the "gods" think is just, how will it be certain that all gods will find everything to be agreed upon one another? This is why piety falls under category II, non measurable arguments.
Piety is under judgment 2, the ugly/beautiful one because it is not an object and can't be measured by any tools.
Judgment 1 is the smaller/larger one, where objects have a certain measurement so people can settle their answer simply by measuring it. For judgment 2, it is based on opinion where people can't really all settle on one answer because not everyone thinks the same. People can't measure exactly how pious something is so it falls under judgment 2.
Whether a person is beautiful or ugly depends on the opinion of each individual. Each person has different thoughts and standard of critiquing people. Some people may believe Lady Gaga is beautiful, other may think they she is unattractive. However, there is no REAL way to measure this. Unlike beautiful/ugly, larger or smaller is something that can be measured. It is something what is obvious and can be seen right away-a larger pen will always be the larger pen. It will always hold true no matter the situation it’s in. Piety falls into the beautiful/ugly category. This is due to the fact that the pious value of someone is opinionated. What is pious to one god may not be to another making it impious. Piety depends on one’s opinion- just like beauty and ugly.
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