in the fulfillment of western philosophy

1. The Sophists
Chapter 4

2. The Sophists
• “wisdom experts”
• People with know-how knowledge travelling and lecturing for
fee
• Offering basic education, even arts and skills.
• Also public speaking
• Became relevant especially in winning a case, and earning money.
• Young sons from rich families were trained by them to shine in
debate and to excel in politics.

3. Protagoras

4. Protagoras
• 1st among the Sophists
• Lived from about 490 – 420 B.C.
• Foremost speaker in Athens at his time, earned a lot in his
profession
• Drafted a legal code for one of Athens’ colonies
• Taught political virtue
• Taught techniques of debate
• Antilogiae – pro- and-con arguments, two sides to every issue
• “whatever anyone believes is true”
• None of your beliefs is false
• There is no objective truth
• Two sides to every issue & both of them is right.

5. Protagoras
• Relativism (individualistic relativism)
• Reality and truth are relative to individual persons
• “Man is the measure of all things, of the existence of
things that are, and of the nonexistence of things that are
not.”
• “Things are to you such as they appear to you, and to me such as
they appear to me.”
• Moral rightness and political justice, man is the measure.
• In politics, majority are of one opinion and a minority of
another. Both can say that they are right, and has the right.
• All opinions are equally true, some are “better” or “sounder”
or “more expedient” than others, and it is these which a
Sophist offers.
• A Sophist can recommend which is better from weaker.

6. Protagoras
• The question of rightness and justness:
• There is “only better and not truer”
• Encourage to live the values , laws and code of conduct. A sophist
can amend and recommend what is effective.
• On religion, he was a skeptic
• “Life is too short, and the subject is too obscure, for him to
know whether the gods exist and, if they do, what they are
like.”
• Although he said that traditional religion is a civilizing force.
• He is said to be drowned because of his impiety.

7. Gorgias

8. Gorgias
• Few younger than Protagoras and was also famous
• Lived a long life and died at around 380 B.C.
• Free-lance teacher
• He spoke most eloquently, convinced and inspired many, and
earned a lot of money.
• Told people that he could answer any questions asked.
• Never taught or promised to teach “virtues” because there is
no such thing and only the art of rhetoric or oratory.
• The Sophist meant his instruction to be employed for good
ends

9. Gorgias
• There is no objective truths valid for everyone, what is important is
how to effectively persuade others. power of speech
• He criticized philosophers.
• Truth and reality are relative to the beliefs of each person.
• He believes that nothing exists, that even if anything did exist no one
could comprehend it, and that even if anyone could comprehend it
this comprehension could not be communicated.
• Made a Parody on Parmenides’ poem.
• There is no distinction between knowledge and opinion.
• Argued that nothing exists.
• He is impressive at persuasion
• Stressed the importance of the power of speech and its skillful
composition.

10. Callicles

11. Callicles
• At about 405 B.C.
• A wealthy young Athenian gentleman
• He believes that “convention” is the reason why there is laws,
morality exist.
• Most men are weak and should be protected by the
conventions from the strong men.
• “justice consists of the superior ruling over and having more
than the inferior.”
• What is supposed to happen is that men should know,
especially their natural strength, to free them from
“conventions” and will others, fight enemies.
• “luxury, intemperance and licence are virtue and happiness