The Sophists: An IntroductionThe Sophists were bold, exciting innovators with new ideas about Athenian society. The first to arrive, in about 444 BC, was Protagoras. During the last half of the fifth century BC he was followed by a succession of 'new age' itinerant instructors who were skilled in teaching. Mainly they taught the young ambitious men of Athens, instilling in them the skills they sought in order to become successful, that is, rich and influential. The Athenians flocked to hear them and enrol in their courses. The Sophists dared to charge high fees for their instruction and their students willingly paid.The Sophists were versatile and multi-talented. It seems that there was nothing one or other of them could not teach, but perhaps their greatest legacy to western society was their development of language, which, naturally, also benefited them in their work.Plato criticised the Sophists for promoting dangerous ideas which threatened the traditional structure of society. They taught their students how to argue convincingly and to turn the weaker argument into a winning argument against the stronger. Plato was markedly vitriolic in his criticism of the Sophists. Perhaps he was justified.Were the Sophists clever, rather than wise? Where does the truth lie? This book, with its lively, comprehensive treatment of the subject by twenty leading scholars in the field, will help the reader to decide. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
| 21 | |
3 Protagoras | 30 |
4 Gorgias | 45 |
5 Hippias | 56 |
6 Prodicus | 71 |
7 Antiphon | 83 |
13 The Anonymus Iamblichi and the Double Arguments | 138 |
14 Minor Sophists | 152 |
15 Was Socrates a Sophist? | 164 |
The Sophist | 175 |
17 Were the Sophists Philosophers? | 185 |
18 Law against Nature? | 194 |
19 The Sophists and Natural Theology | 204 |
20 Can Virtue Be Taught? | 214 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alcibiades ancient Anonymus Antidosis Antiphon Apology aretê argues Aristophanes Aristotle Aristotle’s Athenian Athens believe Callias Callicles Cambridge University Press century BC chapter Cicero citizens claim Cleinias Critias debate defend democracy Democritus Dillon and Gergel Diogenes Laertius Dionysodorus discussion divine Double Arguments ethical Euthydemus fact fifth century fragments gods Gorgias Greece Greek Guthrie Hackett Heinemann Hippias Major Homer human ideas intellectual interest Isocrates justice Kerferd knowledge Lives Loeb edition London meaning Memorabilia moral nomos one’s orator Oxford University Press Peloponnesian Peloponnesian War Penguin perhaps Pericles persuasive philosopher Philostratus physis Plato Plato’s dialogue Plutarch political position practical Presocratics Proclus Prodicus Protagoras pupil question Refutations regarded Republic rhetoric scepticism seems Sextus Empiricus skill Socrates sophistry speak speech Sprague suggests taught teach virtue teacher teaching for pay Theaetetus theory things thought Thrasymachus tion trans truth Waterfield wisdom words writing wrote Xenophon