Who were the Sophists? The Sophists were early philosophers (as in "before Plato and Socrates" early) who were interested in exploring many branches of knowledge. Many were not actually from Athens, bur rather traveled there because they were drawn by the idea of democracy. (The Sophists Overview). These guys were pretty open minded when it came to their view of the world, which turned out to be a pretty controversial thing later on (Bizzell and Herzberg). We'll talk about some famous Sophists later on in this post, but first let's discuss how they viewed the world. What was the Sophistic epistemology? Sophists did not believe in any form of Absolute Truth, they only believed in probable truths. This means that nothing was definitely "right" or "wrong" to the Sophists- there was no totally objective situation. To the Sophists things we take as absolute like "The sky is blue," could be argued using rhetoric. Sophists believed in arguing many sides of a situation to weed out the "best" probable truths, in a process called dissoi logoi Sophists were able to see many sides of an argument because they weren't hung up on the idea of Absolute Truth, which actually encouraged cultural tolerance. Their views were pretty controversial at the time (and maybe still are today) as they denied the idea that humans could have any knowledge about transcendence, because it didn't really exist (Bizzell and Herzberg). They additionally argued that even if transcendent or Absolute Truth did exist, humans could not have access to it, or even if they could, there would be no way to communicate these truths to other people (Lecture Notes). How did the Sophistic epistemology shape how they used rhetoric? Rhetoric was essential to Sophistic epistemology because they did not believe in absolute truths. Rhetoric allowed Sophists to argue their side of an issue effectively, and persuade people to their side (persuasion is one of the main aspects of rhetoric, after all.) Sophists used things like similes and metaphors to persuade their audience. Kairos (ideal or opportune timing) was also an important tool the Sophists used to persuade people more effectively. For example, you would be better off asking your mom for money when she's in a good mood rather than when she's in a bad mood. When Sophists considered kairos, they were thinking in this way (Lecture Notes). Essentially, the Sophists believed that acknowledging current cultural and political contexts is more effective in formulating a convincing argument than obeying "transcendent unchanging laws," (Bizzell and Herzberg 24). Who were some famous Sophists? Protagoras(485-411 B.C.): He was a famed Sophist who encouraged the study of precise meaning of words. He is thought to have developed the technique of dissoi logoi (Bizzell and Herzberg) and is also considered to be the father of debate (Smith). He believed rhetoric could change perceptions and encourage people to embrace good (Lecture Notes). Gorgias(485-380 B.C.): Gorgias borrowed literary devices from poetry and used it in rhetoric, therefore advancing rhetoric. Gorgias is also considered the father of ceremonial speech (Smith). Though he was not from Athens, his rhetorical talent allowed him to dominate the city and was even asked to speak at festivals, something a normal outsider would never be allowed to do (Bizzell and Herzberg). One of his most notable works is the Encomium of Helen, in which he argues that rhetoric can have as powerful an effect as drugs on the body (Gorgias). Bold claim! Isocrates(436-338 B.C.): Isocrates expanded the definition of rhetoric by saying that it "enhanced civic pride and lead people to their higher destiny," (Smith 46). Essentially, he was trying to combat the idea that rhetoric was only used for selfish personal gain. Instead, Isocrates made the case that using rhetoric could actually help people become great leaders, and he's not totally wrong. Good leaders do have to be convincing and well-spoken, which are traits that are inextricably linked to rhetoric. However, there was no guarantee that a wonderful rhetorician was going to use this power for good. Why did people hate the Sophists so much?
The Sophists definitely were viewed as a somewhat controversial group, particularly by people like Socrates and Plato. The Sophists did teach rhetoric to students, but they did not do so for free, a fact that did make them seem a tad shady. They were also suspected by some of being paid off to partake in government corruption, using their rhetorical skills to sway people's opinion or hold power over others, only adding to their less-than-stellar reputation (Lecture Notes). Others worried that the Sophistic mentality of no absolutes could lead to the disintegration of law. After all, if nothing is really "good" or "bad," law seems to have no real purpose (Bizzell and Herzberg). However, it should be noted that famous Sophists like Gorgias and Isocrates believed that rhetoric could enhance civic pride and lead people to a higher destiny (Lecture Notes).
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Isabel ParhamEnglish 210 ArchivesCategories |