The Sophist - 1606 Words

The Sophist, written by Plato in 360 B.C.E. attempts to search for definitions through deep philosophical searching. The persons of dialogue in this piece are Theodorus, Theaetetus, Socrates (who mainly serves as a silent authority), and an Eleatic Stranger, who leads the majority of the dialogue. As the dialogue commences, Socrates asks the stranger what is thought of sophists, statesman, and philosophers in his home country of Italy. However, Socrates does not simply ask the Stranger to define the three, he instead asks him how the three types of men are regarded in his country- under one, two, or three names. As the men (Theaeteteus and the Stranger) debate the likes of the â€Å"angler† and the â€Å"sophist† they find that the definition of†¦show more content†¦The art of the sophist, as described by Plato, is very complex and unique. His arts confuse both Theaecteteus and the Stranger because every time the men attempt to divide his characteristics t hey find themselves getting led down entirely different paths, unlike the monotonous angler. As they start discussing the sophist both men easily agree that he too is a hunter. However, as the Stranger points out, the sophist is a terrestrial hunter, one that is â€Å"a hired hunter of young men of wealth † (Plato). At the end of their first division, the men believe they have not only uncovered the sophists art â€Å"[which] may be traced from the art of acquisition through exchange, trade, merchandise, to a merchandise of the soul which is concerned with speech and the knowledge of virtue† (Plato), but also the definition of the thing itself. Yet, the Stranger is not content, he asks Theaecteteus to discover another branch of the sophist’s genealogy. The Stranger asks to him to think into the sophist’s hunts with more detail. This time, he asks Theaecteteus to think of the sophist as someone who is engaged in everyday commerce. Branching off from ideas similar to this, the stranger asks him to think about the sophist in a variety of different ways (five different times). Each time, the division ends up taking them down varying paths with far different endings. On the Strangers final attempt, he makes a new division of art, this time he divides theShow MoreRelated Sophists2245 Words   |  9 PagesSophists have been perpetuated in the history of philosophy primarily due to their most fierce critic Plato and his Gorgias, where Socrates brings profound accusations against the practice of sophists and declares notoriously rhetoric to be a part of flattery (ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¿ÃŽ »ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ºÃŽ µÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±, 463c). This paper focuses on the responses to sophists’ practices by Plato and Aristotle, analysing on the one hand criticism made on their practice, on the other, however, trying to evaluate in which respect the responses of theRead MoreSocrates s Quest Of Truth1337 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, Socrates and his dialectical method of inquiry, which was to question and answer everything to show ignorance, soon captivated Plato. Socrates spent most of his time in the streets and marketplace of Athens, approaching people like the sophist and other powerful leaders about whether they had any knowledge of what they spoke of. For example, he would question leaders on whether they had any knowledge of the terms they used; what is virtue? Eventually, Socrates would get them to realizeRead MoreEssay on Socrates and the Sophists681 Words   |  3 Pagesfeel if someone called you a sophist? Before you answer, its important to know how the meaning of this word has evolved. During the fifth century, sophists were teachers, speakers, and philosophers who were paid to use rhetoric (Mardner 1). But many people opposed their style of teaching. Socrates was a philosopher who disagreed with the Sophists point-of-view. The main differences between the Sophist and Socrates were their views on absolute truth. The sophist believed that there was noRead MoreGreek Philosophy : The And The Sophists1167 Words   |  5 PagesDevyn K. Smith Greek Philosophy Henry Schuurman I.D Number:130010 Mailbox Number: 621 Protagoras and the Sophists Throughout the history of the world, philosophy has been at the forefront of the human search for knowledge, but there is no other philosophy like ancient Greek philosophy. Ancient Greek philosophy roughly began in the sixth century BCE and continued on up until ancient Greece became apart of the Roman Empire. The great Greek philosophers of the time, like Plato, Socrates, and AristotleRead MorePlato Essay2063 Words   |  9 Pagespresent the theory of Forms by explaining the â€Å"divided line.† (You can use the visual image, but explain it.) Plato was extremely devoted in answering the sophists’ skepticism about reason and morality. To do so, he spent more time than any philosopher before him studying knowledge, or epistemology. He realized that to answer the sophists’ skepticism he had to first solve the three main problems that earlier philosophers had left behind; the problems of change, the â€Å"one† and the â€Å"many†, and theRead MoreThe Sophists of Ancient Greece Essay1863 Words   |  8 PagesThe Sophists considered themselves experts in teaching, writing and poetry and would travel throughout Greece, lecturing and selling their services to young men who could afford to pay for higher education in the arts and sciences. Although Sophists came from many European countries, they gained most of their notoriety and recognition in Athens, which was the epicenter of Greek culture during the fifth and fourth century BCE. Because little of their original works survived, the reports and c riticismsRead More Aristotelian Rhetoric: Progression of Sophists Nascent Teachings2545 Words   |  11 Pagesancient art marginalized the role of the Sophists, who were the first to introduce rhetoric to Greece, and usually associated them with the bad reputation rhetoric has acquired over the years. Undoubtedly, Aristotle developed rhetoric in a more comprehensive and systemized explanation than what the Sophists offered, but an examination of how this great philosopher reached his findings, and what elements formed his theory on rhetoric points out that the Sophists, who initiated this art, deserve a re-evaluationRead MoreEssay about Oppositional World Views: Plato The Sophists1794 Words   |  8 Pages The Sophist views and beliefs originated in Ancient Greece around 400 B.C.E. The Sophists were known as wandering rhetoricians who gave speeches to those who could afford to listen. The Sophists deeply believed in the power of rhetoric and how it could improve one’s lif e. Plato on the other hand was opposed to all Sophist beliefs. He viewed the Sophists as rhetorical manipulators who were only interested in how people could be persuaded that they learned the truth, regardless if it was in fact theRead MoreSocrates vs Protagoras1705 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy Socrates a sophist? Or just sophisticated? Plato goes a long way in attempting to distinguish Socrates from the likes of Protagoras, a self admitted sophist. In Protagoras, Socrates is depicted as a street smart, wisdom dispensing young man, brash with confidence and a bit of arrogance that goes a long way when confronted with the old school rhetoric of Protagoras. Plato begins to separate the two at the hip right from the get go. The dialogue between Socrates and his inquisitive friendRead MoreDifference Between Socrates And Protagoras927 Words   |  4 PagesSocrates and the renowned sophist Protagoras. Throughout the course of their interaction, it becomes clear that the two men differ in more ways than simply their opinions on the topic at hand. Not only are philosophers and sophists inherently different in nature, but these differences are illuminated specifically when analyzing Socrates’s and Protagoras’s motives for entering their intellectual discussion. Moreover, when considering the qualities embodied by both a sophist and a philosopher, it can