Spin Doctors of the 5th Century
Nama : Kyaw Thu Win Mata Kuliah : Sejarah Filsafat Yunani
NIM :0211210111 Pengajar : Dr. Setyo Wibowo
Tugas : Pengganti UTS Tanggal : 10 Oktober 2011
SPIN DOCTORS OF THE 5TH CENTURY
In the book Pre-Socratic Philosophy: “A Very Short Introduction” Catherine Osborne mentioned that the first principles of philosophy story, Per Socratics, ended by entering into a new period of philosophy by Socrates and Sophists. Most textbooks on Pre-Socratic philosophy allow some space to the Sophists even though Sophists were not really fitted in the first principles of philosophy story. Since the first principles story was all about the motives and interests of intellectual of the 6th and 5th centuries BC, Sophists were positively included as part of the intellectual position of the 5th century. The word ‘Sophist” means ‘professional cleverness’. During the fifth century, sophists were teachers, speakers, and philosophers who were paid to use rhetoric. For the first time in history, philosophy became a job to earn money by selling intellectual skills. They were spin doctors of that period. There were some famous sophists such as Protagoras, Gorgias, Hippias, Prodicus, and Antiphon, among others. They made their living by selling their intellectual skills to those who wanted to get a professional career and could afford to learn. Sophists offered an expensive private education that poor people could not get any education from them. They taught rhetorical skill: clever talk designed to enable their pupils to manipulate popular opinion in their favour. Furthermore, Sophists presented themselves as great facilitators of democratic procedures. However, their effect was only to secure advantages for their richness. They tried to cheat the poor while they were taking advantage from the rich. Therefore their deeds were undemocratic under the democratic ideology- anyone has the right to do anything whether they are rich or poor,
NIM :0211210111 Pengajar : Dr. Setyo Wibowo
Tugas : Pengganti UTS Tanggal : 10 Oktober 2011
SPIN DOCTORS OF THE 5TH CENTURY
In the book Pre-Socratic Philosophy: “A Very Short Introduction” Catherine Osborne mentioned that the first principles of philosophy story, Per Socratics, ended by entering into a new period of philosophy by Socrates and Sophists. Most textbooks on Pre-Socratic philosophy allow some space to the Sophists even though Sophists were not really fitted in the first principles of philosophy story. Since the first principles story was all about the motives and interests of intellectual of the 6th and 5th centuries BC, Sophists were positively included as part of the intellectual position of the 5th century. The word ‘Sophist” means ‘professional cleverness’. During the fifth century, sophists were teachers, speakers, and philosophers who were paid to use rhetoric. For the first time in history, philosophy became a job to earn money by selling intellectual skills. They were spin doctors of that period. There were some famous sophists such as Protagoras, Gorgias, Hippias, Prodicus, and Antiphon, among others. They made their living by selling their intellectual skills to those who wanted to get a professional career and could afford to learn. Sophists offered an expensive private education that poor people could not get any education from them. They taught rhetorical skill: clever talk designed to enable their pupils to manipulate popular opinion in their favour. Furthermore, Sophists presented themselves as great facilitators of democratic procedures. However, their effect was only to secure advantages for their richness. They tried to cheat the poor while they were taking advantage from the rich. Therefore their deeds were undemocratic under the democratic ideology- anyone has the right to do anything whether they are rich or poor,