Abstract

In Analects 13:18 Confucius said that it is not upright for a son to give evidence against his father who stole a sheep. According to Confucius’ view, it is upright for a father and son to conceal each other’s misconduct. Similarly, in Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro Socrates seems to stress the son’s pious obligation to his father, when he regarded Euthyphro’s action of prosecuting his own father for homicide on behalf of a laborer as crazy or strange. It seemed to Socrates that Euthyphro’s action violated the norms of filial piety, and he considered it inappropriate to prosecute a relative on behalf of an outsider. Like Confucius, Socrates seems to want the son, Euthyphro, to conceal the misconduct of his father’s committing murder. In this paper, however, despite the appearance of similarity in views, I want to focus on their differences. I assert that unlike Confucius, Socrates did not deny that justice has an important meaning ahead of filial piety, if such a circumstance arises.