What is Euthyphro’s Dilemma?

Response

Plato’s renowned inquiry about the essence of goodness questions whether something is considered good because God deems it so, or if God deems it good because it inherently possesses goodness. This dilemma is commonly referred to as Euthyphro’s Dilemma (named after the character Euthyphro in Plato’s ‘Socratic dialogue’ discussing goodness).

This question poses a twofold challenge for Christians. Firstly, if something is deemed good solely based on God’s declaration, then it implies that God could label anything as good, even things like rape or murder that we inherently recognize as evil. A morality founded on God’s arbitrary proclamations is undesirable for believers. Conversely, if God is merely acknowledging a thing’s inherent goodness, then He ceases to be the ultimate standard of goodness and appears subject to an external standard. However, having a standard above God that He must adhere to is also unappealing. Hence, the dilemma.

Nevertheless, there exists a third alternative. As Christians, we should uphold both God’s sovereignty and His intrinsic goodness. Therefore, we reject an arbitrary standard or one external to God. Thankfully, God is supremely sovereign and inherently good. Consequently, God’s very nature can serve as the benchmark for goodness, allowing Him to base His pronouncements of goodness on Himself. Given that God’s nature is unchanging and entirely good, His will is not capricious, and His declarations are always truthful. This resolution addresses both concerns.

How does God serve as the standard of goodness? By virtue of being the creator. The goodness of something is determined by its intended purpose. A blunt knife is not a good knife because a knife’s purpose is to cut. Conversely, sharpness is detrimental for a shoe, as a good shoe prioritizes comfort and support for the foot. As the creator, God establishes the purposes of all His creations. What He creates is designed with a specific purpose in mind.Fully, and anything that stands in the way of that purpose is bad. Rape is evil because that is not what sex is meant to be. Murder is evil because it is not the purpose of humans to arbitrarily decide when people should die. (Note that this does not necessarily vilify all human-caused deaths, such as capital punishment or war. If God has stated guidelines for these actions, then it is no longer arbitrary human will being carried out.)

In conclusion, a thing is good to the degree that it fulfills its purposes. Because God is the creator of all things, according to His own good nature, He is therefore both the standard and declarer of goodness.