The Sophists
We often come upon the word sophistry, to indicate the use of fallacious arguments leading to a false and misleading conclusion. It is usually implied that this is done intentionally. The word is formed from the Greek noun sophia, meaning “wisdom”. We should all be on the watch for such arguments, as they are quite common today in the world of politics and even in the world of science, especially in politically charged science, such as climate change.
While sophistry has its negative meaning and connotations today, the Sophists of ancient Greece were a select group of intellectuals and professional educators who offered instruction in many subjects, such as public speaking and the successful conduct of life. The increasing prosperity in Greek cities, especially Athens, created wealthy individuals who sought intellectual sophistication and were willing to pay for such higher learning.
The system of participatory democracy in Athens created ambitious politicians and a demand for political oratory skills. The Sophists responded to this demand with the teaching of techniques of persuasion and argument. Their teachings and contributions eventually expanded to philosophical matters of morality and religion. The Sophists are not…
