This chapter focuses on a somewhat neglected aspect of Plato's Euthyphro, called the dilemma of authority. It is a problem that arises whenever someone wishes to rely on authority, that is, defer to the judgment of another, when it comes to moral issues. Plato's Euthyphro, in the course of a discussion of the nature of piety, raises a number of problems about relying on authority in moral decision-making, problems both of knowledge and of justification. The chapter explores several of these problems and argues that at least one, the dilemma of authority, is of quite general application and...

This chapter focuses on a somewhat neglected aspect of Plato's Euthyphro, called the dilemma of authority. It is a problem that arises whenever someone wishes to rely on authority, that is, defer to the judgment of another, when it comes to moral issues. Plato's Euthyphro, in the course of a discussion of the nature of piety, raises a number of problems about relying on authority in moral decision-making, problems both of knowledge and of justification. The chapter explores several of these problems and argues that at least one, the dilemma of authority, is of quite general application and importance.