The Enlightened Sophists: Understanding Truth's Subjectivity

1. Introducing the Sophists

2. The Sophists Truth is relative. 2 • “...for every school of thought, another school is established in reaction.”(Smith 35)

3. Progression 3 • Mythologists --> Stories • Naturalists --> Physical matter • Mystics --> Logos & Mythos merge • Sophists -->Truth is subjective • Plato -->Truth with a capital T.

4. Sophists • The term related to the Greek words sophos and sophia, commonly translated as “wise” and “wisdom”

5. 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”

6. 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

7. Periclean Democracy • The constitutional reform he instigated in Athens in 462/461 B.C. was based upon two principles:

8. Periclean Democracy • 1) That power should be with the people as a whole and not a small section of the citizen body;

9. 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

10. 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 11

12. The Major Players • Protagoras

13. The Major Players • Protagoras • Born about 490 B.C. in Thrace

14. The Major Players • Protagoras • Born about 490 B.C. in Thrace

15. 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.

16. The Major Players • Protagoras

17. 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

18. 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

19. The Major Players • Gorgias

20. The Major Players • Gorgias • Born in Leontini, Sicily around 480 B.C.

21. 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

22. The Major Players • Gorgias • His oratorical virtuosity amazed Athenians

23. 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

24. The Major Players • Isocrates

25. The Major Players • Isocrates • Born to a wealthy family in Athens in 436 B.C.

26. The Major Players • Isocrates • Born to a wealthy family in Athens in 436 B.C. • Student of Gorgias; also an acquaintance of Socrates

27. The Major Players • Isocrates • Set up his own school of rhetoric around 392 B.C. emphasizing sophist principles of rhetoric, especially kairos

28. 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

29. 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-for-retirement