Euthyphro and Socrates

Since our discussion Wednesday I have been thinking a lot about the blessing of naivety. There are many instances in life in which lacking knowledge is more of a blessing than a curse. There seems to be a common belief among our society that the more knowledge a person has the better off he is and, therefore, we should always seeking further knowledge. However, I don't think that is always the case. For example, Euthyphro felt he had all the knowledge he needed in life. He was perfectly content with his present situation. That was, of course, until Socrates began to argue with him and demonstrate the lack of knowledge Euthyphro actually possessed. Socrates crushed Euthyphro, not only in the argument, but also in the sense of his confidence in himself. By the end of their discussion Euthyphro was begging for an excuse to get away from Socrates and save any last scrap of dignity that remained. Had Euthyphro remained in the dark about his lack of knowledge he would have maintained his confidence and continued to live a content life. However, now that he has realized he does not have all the answers, he may begin to question other things in his life. He may realize that he really does not, like most people, have any answers. We all may just be living in naivety, hoping that our eyes are never opened to the truth like Euthyphro's were, because if that occurs we may receive the same devastating blow to our sense of life and the world.