Transcript Chapter 3 Sophists

Introducing the Sophists
2
The Sophists Truth is relative.
“...for every school of thought, another school is
established in reaction.” (Smith 35)
3
Progression
Mythologists --> Stories
Naturalists --> Physical matter
Mystics --> Logos & Mythos merge
Sophists -->Truth is subjective
Plato -->Truth with a capital T.
Sophists

The term related to
the Greek words
sophos and sophia,
commonly translated
as “wise” and
“wisdom”
Sophists
The term related to
the Greek words
sophos and sophia,
commonly translated
as “wise” and
“wisdom”
 A “sophist”, then, is
simply a “wise man”

Periclean Democracy

Pericles, an Athenian
general, politician
and renowned orator
ushered in what is
generally considered
the golden age of
Athens—he fostered
the arts and
executed a large
number of public
works
Periclean Democracy

The constitutional
reform he instigated
in Athens in 462/461
B.C. was based upon
two principles:
Periclean Democracy

1) That power should
be with the people as
a whole and not a
small section of the
citizen body;
Periclean Democracy
1) That power should
be with the people as
a whole and not a
small section of the
citizen body;
 2) That high offices
should be entrusted
to those best fitted
and most able to
carry out civic
functions

Periclean Democracy

“What the sophists
were able to offer
was in no sense a
contribution to the
education of the
masses. They
offered an expensive
product invaluable to
those seeking a
career in politics and
public life generally. .
.”(Kerferd 17)
11
The Major Players
The Major Players

Protagoras
The Major Players
Protagoras
 Born about 490 B.C.
in Thrace

The Major Players
Protagoras
 Born about 490 B.C.
in Thrace

The Major Players
Protagoras
 Born about 490 B.C.
in Thrace
 Met Pericles; later
appointed by him to
write laws for the
Athenian colony of
Thurii in 444 B.C.

The Major Players

Protagoras
The Major Players
Protagoras
 A successful and
respected teacher
 Range of interests
included ethics,
politics, theology,
education, cultural
history, literary
criticism, linguistic
studies and rhetoric

The Major Players
Truth is subjective
 Most famous for his
statement: “Man is
the measure of all
things.”
 There is no way to
know absolute truth

The Major Players

Gorgias
The Major Players
Gorgias
 Born in Leontini,
Sicily around 480
B.C.

The Major Players
Gorgias
 Born in Leontini,
Sicily around 480
B.C.
 In 427, sent as an
ambassador by
Leontini to Athens,
which he visited
repeatedly or even
settled there

The Major Players
Gorgias
 His oratorical
virtuosity amazed
Athenians

The Major Players
Gorgias
 His oratorical
virtuosity amazed
Athenians
 Famous for his
extemporaneous
oratory—he would
ask an audience to
suggest a subject
that he would then
speak about
knowledgeably

The Major Players

Isocrates
The Major Players
Isocrates
 Born to a wealthy
family in Athens in
436 B.C.

The Major Players
Isocrates
 Born to a wealthy
family in Athens in
436 B.C.
 Student of Gorgias;
also an acquaintance
of Socrates

The Major Players
Isocrates
 Set up his own
school of rhetoric
around 392 B.C.
emphasizing sophist
principles of rhetoric,
especially kairos

The Major Players
Isocrates
 Believed that for his
students to succeed,
they required three
things: a natural
ability; knowledge
gained by imitation
and practice, and a
means to apply that
practice

So What?
30
What does all this have to do with our
world? Why does it matter now?

http://www.edge.org/responses/what-scientific-idea-is-ready-forretirement