The same scale and the same symbolic scheme

The Euthyphro is shorter and the passages marking the musical notes are more succinctly marked, but they suffice to show that this dialogue has the same twelve-note scale as the Symposium. Here too, the wholenotes and quarternotes are marked with dif erent species of a single genus of concepts, and this regular pattern of concepts forms the underlying scale.

In the Symposium, the notes were marked by species of harmony. Here, they are marked by various species of assertions of higher knowledge. As Socrates says, Euthyphro “strongly asserted he clearly knows” the nature of piety (saphōs eidenai diischurizou, 5c8–9). This genus is not prima facie related to music, but a later section will argue for a surprising connection.

A survey of the notes shows that, in Euthyphro's assertions, this genus especially comprehends his supposed knowledge of the gods, the Good and wisdom. Socrates' higher knowledge tends to be limited to the human sphere. He will mark notes with assertions about, for example, human religious beliefs, but will ascend only as high as knowledge of the forms or of his mythical ancestor Daedalus. Euthyphro's epistemic assertions are other-worldly; Socrates' are this-worldly.

The genus of “assertions of higher knowledge” comprehends passages that include:

• assertions of knowledge about the gods or holiness (especially definitions of holiness);

• […]