THE SOPHISTS AND SOCRATES

1. WHO WERE THE SOPHISTS AND WHAT DID THEY DO?

The sophists were well-paid teachers

who taught the art of thinking,
speaking and acting.
The term sophist means a wise man.
Some of the most important sophists
were Protagoras and Gorgias.
 PROTAGORAS 490 – 420 BC

NIHILIST

GORGIAS 485 – 380 BC

 2. THE SOCIAL MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

The sophists were masters at the art of

speaking - rhetoric. They convincingly
develop the ability to make the public
believe in their rightness.

The ability to win in an argument was

necessary in public discussions, in the
practice of ancient politicians or in
disputes led in court.
3. SOPHISTS’ TRAPS

• Use arguments that are not proven;

• change the subject during the discourse;
• confuse the opponent with useless details;
• talk endlessly and unclearly in order to
mislead the audience;
• behave in a superior manner showing the
opponents’ physical imperfections and
ridicule their mistakes;
• aim at the audience’s approval not the truth.
 4. ALL IS RELATIVE

The sophists consider every truth

to be relative.
Every man can prove their truth
which depends on the circumstances
of their life, on the situation that
they’re in and last but not least their
logical and verbal skills.
Philosophy as a profession

Sophists were the first to teach for

money. This converted philosophy into
a profession. For most of the ancient
philosophers teaching for money
wasn’t ethical.

For Socrates, Plato and Aristotle

philosophy was knowledge for its
own sake.
The search for truth shouldn’t involve
material benefits.
5.SOCRATES

Socrates
lived at
the same time
as the Sophists

470 – 399 BC
Socrates
“called philosophy down from the sky“

Like sophists,
Socrates was more
interested in man
and their place in
society than in the
forces of nature.
Unlike the sophists,
he did not teach for money.

Socrates called himself a

philosopher.
A “philosopher” really means
“one who loves wisdom.”
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