Ancient philosophy of the sophists briefly

The philosophy of the sophists appears in a very interesting period in the history of Greece. This is the era of the domination of the so-called ancient democracy when the fate of the city-States were often decided in the squares. Greek policies – specific Republic with their own independent management – was comprised of residents of the main town and the nearby countryside. While solving important state problems the people came to the national Assembly. A huge role played by the courts in which they had to defend their point of view. The ability to beautifully and convincingly to speak, but also to lead other people became very important and essential. It is in such conditions and be a teacher of life and wisdom.

The Sophists, philosophy (briefly) and the origin of the term

The name is traditionally for the Greek discourse of the time. No wonder the term “philosophy” means love of wisdom. But that is typical for this school? The name itself is not new. The Greek word ‘sophistes” set of people who have a thorough knowledge and able to do anything. So we could call and artist, and a good master, and sage. In a word, a connoisseur. But from the fifth century BC, the term became one of the main characteristics of the phenomenon we know as ancient philosophy. The sophists were masters of rhetoric.

The point

Ability to speak persuasively is one of the major arts of ancient democracy, is vital in order to make public career. The skill development logically and correctly to Express his thoughts becomes the basis of education, especially for future politicians. And at the forefront of eloquence, which was considered the Queen of arts. After all, what shell you clothe your words, are often at the root of your success. Thus, the sophists became the teachers of those who wanted the right to think, say and do. They were looking for wealthy young men who wanted to go far in the political sense or make a different stunning civil career.

Characteristics

As the rhetoric and eloquence were very much in demand in the society, these modern sages began to charge for their services, which is reflected in historical sources. Their originality lies in the fact that the philosophy of the sophists, in fact, refused from religious justifications for their positions. And what they were? After all, the sophists – practice, training politicians. In addition, they have laid certain foundations of modern culture. For example, ensuring the correctness of eloquence, they have developed norms of the literary Greek language. These wise men took a fresh question, which has long been asked of the ancient philosophy. The sophists also looked differently at many problems, which had not noticed before. What is man, society, and knowledge in General? How absolute our ideas about the world and nature, and is it even possible?

Recommended

Competition is the rivalry between participants in the market economy. Types and functions of competition

Competition – a concept inherent in a market economy. Every participant in the financial and commercial relations, seeks to take the best place in the environment where it must operate. For this reason, there is stiff competition. The struggle ...

The mayor: powers and duties. Elections of the mayor

Normal functioning of all systems of the settlement, competent and timely execution of tasks in the sphere of economic, social and other areas of development is impossible without control of the mayor. But how voters can evaluate the quality of work ...

Francisco Franco: biography and political activities

When the civil war began in Spain, General Francisco Franco (Francisco Paulino of Hermenegildo Teodulo Franco Bahamonde - full name) celebrated its arakatzailea, but he seemed already tired of life and much older than his years. To unpresentable appe...

Older

The Sophists, as a phenomenon in the history of thought, be divided into two groups. The first is the so-called “senior”. It is to include all of the major achievements attributed to this philosophical direction. “Senior” were contemporaries of many other great sages. They lived in the time of pitagoras Falola, representatives Aleutskiy schools of Zeno and Melissa, of natural philosophers Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Leucippus. They represented rather a collection of techniques and not a single school or course. If you try to describe them as a whole, we can see that they are heirs to the naturalists, as they try to explain everything that exists by rational reasons, to point out the relativity of all things, concepts and phenomena, as well as to put into question the foundations of contemporary morality. The philosophy of the sophists of the older generation were developed by Protagoras, by Gorgias, Hippies, by Prodikos, Antivenom and Xeniades. The most interesting we will try to elaborate.

Protagoras

About this philosopher known most. We even know the years of his life. According to some sources, he was born in the year of 481 BC, and died in 411. He was born in the trading city of Abdera was the famous pupil of Democritus. Thinking the latter had a significant influence on Protagoras. The doctrine of atoms and void, and the plurality of worlds, are constantly dying and arising again, he developed the idea of relativity of things. The philosophy of the sophists has since become a symbol of relativism. Matter is impermanent and constantly changing, and if something dies, something else comes in its place. This is our world, argued Protagoras. And with knowledge. Every concept can be given the opposite interpretation. It is also known that Protagoras was the author of the atheistic writings of “gods”. It was burned, and the philosopher is doomed to exile.

"Junior"

These wise men did not like classic antique philosophy. The sophists appeared in the picture of her masters of cunning liars. “the Teachers of the imaginary wisdom», - spoke of them Aristotle. Among these philosophers can be called such names as Alcida, Tracemax, Critias, Callecl. They professed extreme relativism and came to the conclusion that the concepts of good and evil do not differ fromother. What may be good for one person is bad for another. In addition, the human setting is very different from natural laws. If the latter is immutable, the first vary widely, depending on ethnicity and culture, and are a sort of agreement. So our ideas of justice are often seen in the rule of law is strong. We make people slaves, but all people are born free. History appreciated their teaching. For example, Hegel said that the wise men did much for the birth of the dialectic.

The person

Even Protagoras declared that human beings are the measure of all. What exists, and what is not. Because everything we say about the truth – is just someone's opinion. The problem of man in philosophy of the sophists appeared as the discovery of subjectivity. Similar statements were developed and Gorgias. This sage was a disciple of Empedocles. According to the ancient author Sextus Empiricus, Gorgias has put forward three positions. The first was on the fact that nothing actually exists. The second was that if something is, in reality, it is impossible to know him. And the third was the result of the first two. If we could prove that something exists, and it can be known, to convey our view of it exactly does not. “the Teacher of wisdom” declared himself a cosmopolitan, because he believed that the birthplace of man where he is best. They were often accused of lack of patriotism parochial policy.

Religion

The Sophists were known to ridicule belief in gods, and a critical attitude towards them. Protagoras, as mentioned above, I did not know whether there is a higher power. "This question is unclear for me - he wrote, - a human life is not enough to make it to the end to explore." A representative of “Junior” generation of sophists Critias was nicknamed atheist. In his book “Sisyphus” he declares all religion a fiction, used cunning, in order to impose their foolish laws. Morality is not established by gods but fixed people. If a person knows that no one was watching him, he easily violates all established norms. The philosophy of the sophists and of Socrates, who also criticized the social mores and religion, often perceived not very educated by the public as one and the same. No wonder Aristophanes wrote a Comedy, which ridiculed the teacher of Plato, ascribing unusual views.

Ancient philosophy, the sophists and Socrates

These wise men became the object of ridicule and criticism from contemporaries. One of the strongest opponents of the sophists was Socrates. He disagreed with them in matters of faith in God and virtues. He believed that the debate exists for the search of truth, not in order to showcase the beauty of the arguments that the terms should define the essence of things, not just be pretty words, meaningless things. In addition, Socrates advocated the absoluteness of good and evil. The latter, in his opinion, is solely from ignorance. The philosophy of the sophists and Socrates has, therefore, similarities and differences. They were enemies, but allies. If Hegel believed that “the teacher of wisdom" has done much for the Foundation of the dialectic, that Socrates confesses its “father”. The sophists drew attention to the subjectivity of truth. Socrates felt that the last born in the debate.

What has become of the sophists

We Can say that these diverse trends have set the stage for the development of many of the subsequent phenomena in the human world. For example, from the above reflections on subjectivity and the influence of the opinions of the individual perception of the truth was born of anthropological philosophy. The sophists and Socrates stood at its sources. In fact, even public rejection of that hit him had one nature. The Athenian audience of the time was not well disposed towards intellectuals and tried to equalize the taste of the crowd. Gradually, however, from the teachings of the sophists began to disappear the actual wisdom. They are increasingly practiced not in philosophy, but the ability equally well to argue different points of view. Their schools became the literary circles, where he honed his eloquence writers, not politicians. Sophistry as a phenomenon disappeared completely after the age of Aristotle, though in history there have been attempts to revive it, including in ancient Rome. But these attempts turned into a purely intellectual game of rich people and had neither popularity nor future. Our modern understanding of the word "sophistry" comes precisely from the latter phenomenon, which was virtually emasculated and lost the appeal, characteristic of by its founders.