The philosophy of the sophists appears in a very interesting period in the history of Greece. This is the era of the so-called ancient democracy, when the fate of city-states was often decided on the squares. Ancient Greek policies - specific republics with their autonomous management - included residents of the main city and the surrounding countryside. During the solution of problems important for the state, residents came to public meetings. A huge role was played by the courts, where it was necessary to defend their point of view. The ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, as well as lead other people, has become very important and urgent. It is in these conditions that the teachers of life and wisdom appear.
Sophists, philosophy (briefly) and the origin of the term
This name itself is traditional for the Greek discourse of the time. No wonder the term "philosophy" means a love of wisdom. But what is characteristic of this particular school? The name itself is not new. In the ancient Greek language, the word “sophistes” defined people who thoroughly knew and were able to do something. So could be called an artist, and a good master, and a sage. In a word, an expert. But from the fifth century BC, this term has become one of the main characteristics of the phenomenon known to us as ancient philosophy. Sophists were experts in rhetoric.
The meaning of learning
The ability to speak convincingly is one of the main arts of ancient democracy, vital in order to make a public career. The development of the ability to express their thoughts logically and correctly becomes the basis of education, especially for future politicians. And the eloquence that came to be considered the queen of the arts comes to the fore. After all, what shell you put on your words often serves as the reason for your success. Thus, sophists became teachers of those who wanted to think, speak and do correctly. They were looking for wealthy young men who wanted to go far in the political sense or make another stunning civilian career.
Characteristic
Since rhetoric and eloquence were very popular in society, these newfangled sages began to charge for their services, as reflected in historical sources. Their originality also lies in the fact that the philosophy of the sophists practically abandoned the religious justifications of their positions. Yes, and what were they to them? After all, sophists are practices that educate politicians. In addition, they laid certain foundations of modern culture. For example, following the correctness of eloquence, they developed the norms of literary Greek. These sages posed new questions that had long been asked of ancient philosophy. Sophists also looked at many problems that they had not noticed before. What is a person, society, knowledge in general? How absolute are our ideas about the world and nature, and is this even possible?
Seniors
Sophists, as a phenomenon in the history of thought, are usually divided into two groups. The first is the so-called "elders." These are all the major achievements attributed to this philosophical direction. The "elders" were contemporaries of many other great sages. They lived during the time of the Pythagorean Filolaus, representatives of the Eleat school of Zeno and Meliss, natural philosophers Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Leucippus. They represented a set of methods rather than a single school or course. If you try to characterize them as a whole, you can see that they are the heirs of naturalists, because they are trying to explain everything that exists with rational reasons, point out the relativity of all things, concepts and phenomena, and also call into question the foundations of modern morality. The philosophy of the sophists of the older generation was developed by Protagoras, Gorgias, Hippias, Prodicus, Antifont and Xeniades. We will try to tell you more about the most interesting.
Protagoras
This philosopher is best known. We even know the years of his life. According to some reports, he was born in 481 BC, and died in 411. He was born in the trading city of Abdera and was a student of the famous Democritus. Thinking of the latter had a significant impact on Protagoras. The doctrine of atoms and emptiness, as well as the multiplicity of worlds, constantly perishing and re-emerging, he developed into the idea of the relativity of things. Sophist philosophy has since become a symbol of relativism. Matter is transient and constantly changing, and if something perishes, something else comes in its place. Such is our world, Protagoras claimed. So it is with knowledge. Any concept can be given the opposite interpretation. It is also known that Protagoras was the author of the atheistic essay "On the Gods." It was burned, and the philosopher himself was doomed to exile.
Junior
These wise men were very disliked by classical ancient philosophy. The Sophists appeared in the image of her masters as cunning liars. “Teachers of imaginary wisdom, ” Aristotle spoke of them. Among these philosophers are such names as Alkidam, Thrasimachus, Critius, Kallikl. They professed extreme relativism and came to the conclusion that the concepts of good and evil practically do not differ from each other. What may be good for one person is bad for another. In addition, human institutions are very different from natural laws. If the latter are unshakable, the former vary widely, depending on the ethnic group and culture, and are a kind of agreement. Therefore, our ideas about justice are often manifested in the rule of the law of the strong. We make people slaves, but all people are born free. History appreciated their teachings. For example, Hegel stated that these sages did a lot for the birth of dialectics.
About a human
Protagoras also announced that people are the measure of everything. That which exists, and that which is not. Because everything we say about the truth is just someone’s opinion. The problem of man in the philosophy of sophists appeared precisely as the discovery of subjectivity. Gorgiy developed similar theses. This sage was a student of Empedocles. According to the ancient author Sextus Empiricus, Gorgias put forward three points. The first of them was dedicated to the fact that nothing really exists. The second said that if something is in reality, then it is impossible to know it. And the third was the result of the first two. If we were able to prove that something exists and can be known, then it is absolutely impossible to convey our idea of it. The “teachers of wisdom” declared themselves cosmopolitan, because they believed that the person’s homeland is where he is best. Therefore, they were often accused of the lack of small-town polis patriotism.
About religion
The Sophists were known for mocking their faith in the gods and for being critical of them. Protagoras, as mentioned above, did not know whether higher powers really exist. “This question is not clear to me, ” he wrote, “but human life is not enough to fully explore it.” And the representative of the "younger" generation of sophists, Critius, received the nickname of an atheist. In his Sisyphus work, he declares all religion an invention, which sly people use to impose their laws on fools. Morality is not established by the gods at all, but is fixed by people. If a person knows that no one is following him, he easily violates all established norms. The philosophy of sophists and Socrates, who also criticized public morals and religion, was often perceived by the not-so-educated public as one and the same. No wonder Aristophanes wrote a comedy in which he mocked the teacher of Plato, attributing to him unusual views.
Ancient philosophy, sophists and Socrates
These sages became the object of ridicule and criticism from contemporaries. One of the sharpest opponents of the sophists was Socrates. He disagreed with them on questions of faith in God and virtues. He believed that discussion exists for the search for truth, and not in order to demonstrate the beauty of the arguments, that terms should define the essence of things, and not just be beautiful words that mean one thing or another. In addition, Socrates was a supporter of the absoluteness of good and evil. The latter, in his opinion, comes solely from ignorance. The philosophy of sophists and Socrates, therefore, has similar features and differences. They were opponents, but in some ways allies. If Hegel believed that the “teachers of wisdom” did much to establish dialectics, then Socrates is recognized as her “father”. Sophists drew attention to the subjectivity of truth. Socrates considered that the latter was born in controversy.
