Socrates vs Sophists
Socrates and the Sophists (Plato's Dialogues)
In chapter 4, The Sophist: Protagoras, Soccio does an excellent job discussing a group of teachers and thinkers known collectively as sophists, and the social environment in which they flourished for a time. These professional educators were known for being widely travelled and thus having much experience with other cultures. This experience convinced many of them that there is no such thing as 'objective standards;' we merely have a set of culturally determined beliefs and behaviors. Thus, there is no reason to suppose that one set of cultural values is superior to another's, i.e., we have cultural relativism. Most sophists then went on to extend this kind of relativism to morality as well (see the lecture on Moral Relativism!). The sophists are most notable for being opposed by Socrates and Plato. That is, both Socrates and Plato disagreed with the sophists' relativist views and perceived them as a danger to any community of rational people. Thus, many of Plato's early and middle dialogues are specific arguments against the views of the sophists. (Although, it seems clear that some of his contemporaries considered Socrates, himself, a sophist--a view that I would strongly disagree with!) Before going on to Socrates' arguments and claims against the sophists, it would be well to discuss some of the more notable characteristics of the sophists.
I. The Sophists--Teachers of the art of persuasion by rhetoric in courts of law and politics:
A. Secularists--skeptical or cynical of religion. Although none of these men grew up in an 'atheistic' culture, their experience with the variety different cultures and religions in the Mediterranean and Aegean communities and their keen use of reason to examine these various cultures, convinced them that there is no compelling reason to favor one religion over another. This lead to a skepticism toward any supposed 'truth' to be found in religion. Many older sophists,
In chapter 4, The Sophist: Protagoras, Soccio does an excellent job discussing a group of teachers and thinkers known collectively as sophists, and the social environment in which they flourished for a time. These professional educators were known for being widely travelled and thus having much experience with other cultures. This experience convinced many of them that there is no such thing as 'objective standards;' we merely have a set of culturally determined beliefs and behaviors. Thus, there is no reason to suppose that one set of cultural values is superior to another's, i.e., we have cultural relativism. Most sophists then went on to extend this kind of relativism to morality as well (see the lecture on Moral Relativism!). The sophists are most notable for being opposed by Socrates and Plato. That is, both Socrates and Plato disagreed with the sophists' relativist views and perceived them as a danger to any community of rational people. Thus, many of Plato's early and middle dialogues are specific arguments against the views of the sophists. (Although, it seems clear that some of his contemporaries considered Socrates, himself, a sophist--a view that I would strongly disagree with!) Before going on to Socrates' arguments and claims against the sophists, it would be well to discuss some of the more notable characteristics of the sophists.
I. The Sophists--Teachers of the art of persuasion by rhetoric in courts of law and politics:
A. Secularists--skeptical or cynical of religion. Although none of these men grew up in an 'atheistic' culture, their experience with the variety different cultures and religions in the Mediterranean and Aegean communities and their keen use of reason to examine these various cultures, convinced them that there is no compelling reason to favor one religion over another. This lead to a skepticism toward any supposed 'truth' to be found in religion. Many older sophists,