the greek word sophist

8/13/2019 The Greek Word Sophist

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The Greek word sophist (sophistēs) derives from the words sophia, and sophos, meaning

"wisdom" or “wise” since the time of Homer and was originally used to describe expertise in a

particular knowledge or craft.[1] Gradually, however, the word also came to denote general

wisdom and especially wisdom about human affairs (for example, in politics, ethics, or household

management). This was the meaning ascribed to the Greek Seven Sages of 7th and 6th century BC

(such as Solon and Thales), and it was the meaning that appeared in the histories of Herodotus.

Richard Martin refers to the seven sages as "performers of political poetry."[2]

Sophists were philosopher-teachers who traveled about in Greece teaching their students

everything that was necessary to be successful in life including rhetoric and public speaking. These

were useful skills, where being persuasive could lead to political power and economic wealth.

Athens became the center of their activity, due to their tolerance of freedom of speech and the

available wealth. Although there were numerous differences among Sophist teachings, a constant

element in their philosophy was skepticism. Sophists taught their beliefs for a considerable price.

Overall, they identified as either agnostic or atheistic.

Sophists became popular following the development of thought and society in Athens, in the fifth

century B.C. They offered practical education with teachings that included speculation on the

nature of the universe as well as the art of life and politics. They believed that law was an

agreement between people and that justice is nonexistent. Among the Sophists, Protagoras,

Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus, Callicles, Lycophron, Antiphon, and Cratylus are the

most well-known.

Early Sophists were well respected but they soon became unpopular and were subject to much

opposition and controversy due to their high fees and their radical challenges to convention. The

only citizens who had the money to learn from the Sophists came from the aristocratic class,

meaning that many citizens were unable to learn from them. Sophist teachers were also thought

to cater to the popular opinion to attract a greater number of students rather than being

concerned with the truth.

Before the writing of Plato, the word "sophist" could be used as either a respectful or

contemptuous title, much like way the word "intellectual" can be used today. It was in Plato’s

dialogue, Sophist, that the first record of an attempt to answer the question “What is a Sophist?”

is made. Plato described Sophists as paid hunters after the young and wealthy, as merchants of

knowledge, as athletes in a contest of words, and purgers of souls. From Plato's assessment of

Sophists it could be concluded that Sophists do not offer true knowledge, but only an opinion of

things. Plato describes them as shadows of the true early Sophists and wrote, “...the art of

contradiction making, descended from an insincere kind of conceited mimicry, of the semblance-

making breed, derived from image making, distinguished as portion, not divine but human, of

production, that presents, a shadow play of words—such are the blood and the lineage which can,

with perfect truth, be assigned to the authentic Sophist”. Plato sought to separate the Sophist

from the Philosopher. Where a Sophist was a person who makes his living through deception, a



philosopher was a lover of wisdom who sought truth. To give the Philosophers greater credence,

the Sophists had to receive a negative connotation.[3]

Most sophists claimed to teach arête (“excellence” or “virtue”) in the management and

administration of not only one’s affairs, but the city’s as well. Before the fifth century B.C., it was

believed that aristocratic birth qualified a person for arête and politics. However, Protagoras, whois regarded as the first Sophist, explained that arête is the result of training rather than birth.

Protagoras was one of the most well-known and successful teachers. He taught his students the

necessary skills and knowledge for a successful life, particularly in politics, rather than philosophy.

He trained his pupils to argue from both points of view because he believed that truth could not

be limited to just one side of the argument. Protagoras wrote about a variety of subjects and some

fragments of his work survived. He is the author of the famous saying, “Man is the measure of all

things,” which is the opening sentence of a work called Truth.[4]

Gorgias is another well-known Sophist. Gorgias’ writings showcase his ability of making ridiculous

and unpopular positions appear stronger. Gorgias authored a lost work known as On the Non-

Existent, which centers on the argument that nothing exists. In it, he attempts to persuade his

readers that thought and existence was different.[5]

In comparison, Socrates accepted no fee, instead professed a self-effacing posture, which he

exemplified by Socratic questioning (i.e. the Socratic method, although Diogenes Laertius wrote

that Protagoras — a sophist — invented the "Socratic" method[6][7]). His attitude towards the

Sophists was by no means oppositional; in one dialogue Socrates even stated that the Sophists

were better educators than he was,[8] which he validated by sending one of his students to study

under a sophist.[9] W. K. C. Guthrie classified Socrates as a Sophist in his History of Greek

Philosophy.[9]

Only portions of the Sophists’ writings have survived and they are mainly known from Plato, a

philosopher who helped lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Plato studied

philosophy under the guidance from Socrates. Plato discusses his view on the Sophists’ thought,

although his attitude is generally hostile. Due to his opposition, he is largely responsible for the

modern view of the sophist as a stingy instructor who deceives. He depicts Socrates as refuting

some sophists in several Dialogues. These texts depict the sophists in an unflattering light, and it is

unclear how accurate or fair Plato's representation of them may be; however, Protagoras and

Prodicus are portrayed in a largely positive light in Protagoras (dialogue). Another contemporary,

the comic playwright Aristophanes, criticizes the sophists as hairsplitting wordsmiths.Aristophanes made no distinction between sophists and philosophers as Socrates did, and

believed both would argue any position for the right fee. In the comedic play The Clouds by

Aristophanes, Strepsiades seeks the help of Socrates (a parody of the actual philosopher) in an

effort to avoid paying his debts. In the play, Socrates promises to teach Strepsiades' son to argue

his way out of paying his debts.



Some scholars, such as Ugo Zilioli[10] argue that the sophists held a relativistic view on cognition

and knowledge. However, this may involve the Greek word "doxa," which means "culturally

shared belief" rather than "individual opinion." Their philosophy contains criticism of religion, law,

and ethics.

In some cases, such as Gorgias, some of his works survived, allowing the author to be judged onhis own terms. In most cases, however, knowledge of sophist thought comes from fragmentary

quotations that lack context. Many of these quotations come from Aristotle, who seems to have

held the sophists in slight regard.

From the late 1st century AD the Second Sophistic, a philosophical and rhetorical movement, was

the chief expression of intellectual life. The term "Second Sophistic" comes from Philostratos, who

rejecting the term "New Sophistic" traced the beginnings of the movement to the orator

Aeschines in the 4th century BC. But its earliest representative was really Nicetas of Smyrna, in the

late 1st century AD. Unlike the original Sophistic movement of the 5th century BC, the Second

Sophistic was little concerned with politics. But it was, to a large degree, to meet the everyday

needs and respond to the practical problems of Graeco-Roman society. It came to dominate

higher education and left its mark on many forms of literature.

Despite the opposition from philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, it is clear that Sophists had

a vast influence on a number of spheres, including the growth of knowledge and on ethical

political theory. Their teachings, although controversial, had a huge influence on thought in the

fifth century B.C. The Sophists turned away from the theoretical natural science to the more

sensible examination of human affairs and the betterment and success of human life. They

explained that divine deities could no longer be the explanation of human action.

Owing largely to the influence of Plato and Aristotle, philosophy came to be regarded as distinctfrom sophistry, the latter being regarded as specious and rhetorical, a practical discipline. Thus, by

the time of the Roman Empire, a sophist was simply a teacher of rhetoric and a popular public

speaker. For instance, Libanius, Himerius, Aelius Aristides, and Fronto were sophists in this sense.

Sophists and democracy[edit]

The sophists' rhetorical techniques were extremely useful for any young nobleman looking for

public office. The societal roles the Sophists filled had important ramifications for the Athenian

political system at large. The historical context provides evidence for their considerable influence,

as Athens became more and more democratic during the period in which the Sophists were most

active.[11]

The Sophists certainly were not directly responsible for Athenian democracy, but their cultural and

psychological contributions played an important role in its growth. They contributed to the new

democracy in part by espousing expertise in public deliberation, since this was the foundation of

decision-making, which allowed and perhaps required a tolerance of the beliefs of others. This

liberal attitude would naturally have precipitated into the Athenian assembly as Sophists acquired



increasingly high-powered clients.[12] Continuous rhetorical training gave the citizens of Athens

"the ability to create accounts of communal possibilities through persuasive speech".[13] This was

extremely important for the democracy, as it gave disparate and sometimes superficially

unattractive views a chance to be heard in the Athenian assembly.

In addition, Sophists had great impact on the early development of law, as the sophists were thefirst lawyers in the world. Their status as lawyers was a result of their extremely developed

argumentation skills.[14]

the greek word sophist

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