"The Sophists"

Who are the Sophists?

What's the relationship between the Sophists and the Philosophers?

In which ways do the Sophists contributed to the development of Philosophy?

The sophists hailed from different regions of Greece, had a variety of intellectual interests, and diverse
curricula for their students. But they were united in that they believed that they possessed specialized
expertise in teaching, and offered an education that promised to help students reach new intellectual
and social heights. Because they subjected religious, political, and social customs, to scrutiny, some
Greeks branded them subversive and harmful to both the youth and the society in general. At the same
time, however, some Greeks welcomed them, including Pericles, the great Athenian statesman. The
sophists’ celebration of the value and power of learning, their intellectual advances, and their
innovations in pedagogy and curriculum, were so profound that it is difficult to overstate their
importance to Western educational theory and practice.

The sophists were the itinerant professional teachers and intellectuals who frequented Anthens and
other Greek Cities in the second half of the fifth century B.C.E. In return for a fee, the sophists offered
young wealthy Greek men on education in virtue or excellence, thereby acquiring wealth and fame.
They were professional teachers and educators.

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 Sophists are not considered a “philosophical school”. They were individual professionals who were
not interested in the endorsement of specific doctrines.

One of the most important Sophists was Protagoras of Abdera. He said that

morals are nothing more than a societies’ or group’s social traditions, or mores, and that sticking to local
mores is the greatest way to live successfully and well—in that area. As a result of his famous remark:
“Man is the measure of all things.” Based on his views and travels, Protagoras determined that morals
are nothing more than a society’s or group’s social traditions, or mores. It is completely impossible to
establish a belief that is not influenced by society or context. According to given material, Cultural
relativism is the concept that all values are determined by culture. Individual relativism is the idea that,
even in the same location and time, good and wrong are relative to the individual’s unique experiences
and choices

The Sophists were the first professional educators, a group of itinerant teachers
who charged money to educate anybody who wanted to learn from them. The difference between a
good and a terrible argument, according to the Sophists, is tradition and individual choice. According to
the Sophists, nothing seems to be good or bad by nature, but only by tradition and desire. They
contended that reality is relative, and that knowledge is determined by the observer’s individual
attributes.

The sophist believed that there was no absolute truth and that truth was what one believed it to be.
Sophists claim that they were not teachers of truth but teachers of thought. Their students were
expected to be able to argue both sides of a debate but were not required to take a stand on a subject.
"Sophists concluded that there is no absolute proof of anything.

What is an Ideal state? Who can rule an ideal state? How can we achieve justice in an ideal state?

The "Plato's Theory of An Ideal State"

What are the elements that make up an Ideal state

So for Plato, in order to achieve an ideal state, a Philosopher should become the king or the king should
become a Philosopher.

What Is an Ideal State According to Plato?*

According to Plato, a state is "When a group of people who has various and different requirements get
together and settle in one place.

According to Plato, everyone in the society has different requirements, and needs different things, and
the best way to achieve these different requirements is to work together. This would be achieved by
having a mutual exchange system.

The most important needs of society are food, clothing, and shelter, and the best way to attain these
needs would be for individuals to attend to certain tasks. For example, someone would be a builder,
another would be a farmer or a weaver. Everyone should have tasks according to one's abilities. A
farmer should be growing food not only not himself, but also for his family and the whole community,
and so on.

According to Plato, the society is made up of three classes of people

1. At the top, the rulers: would be intellectuals who could think rationally.

2. The middle class: they would be auxiliaries, who would make up a courageous and spirited military,
and would be obedient to the ruler.

3. And the third class would be artisans: farmers and tradesmen, etc.

FEATURES OF PLATO’S IDEAL STATE

* The Rule of Philosopher Kings:

According to Plato, an Ideal state must be governed by a philosopher king who should be a passionless
person and seeker of truth and wisdom. He should also be above all types of prejudices and be a symbol
of human wisdom. By his actions he should command respect from all. He should possess high qualities
of lead and heart, and shall not be corrupted by concentration of power of his own hands. He should
combine in himself virtue and knowledge. He is not to be bound by any laws; such a king could be in a
position to look after the welfare of all.

* Specialized Soldiers: Plato as well realized that defense of the state was most essential for all states.
He (Plato), therefore, gave this responsibility to soldiers. He believed that these people should not be
ordinary soldiers, but persons specially trained for the purpose.

* Division of Labor: Plato’s ideal state has three classes namely; rulers at the head to

govern, soldiers to defend, and peasants and artisans to work for the betterment of the economic
conditions of the people living in it. Each section of the society was required to attain perfection in the
particular assigned job. According to Plato, it was only in class division that each class could give
security, property and proper administration to the

people, and thus, helps in promoting collective welfare. Unless society was divided into classes, no good
could be done to the people.

Plato believed in a system of complete functional specialization. He did not like that each and everybody
should go on performing functions of the type which were not suited to his temperament and taste. He
was of the firm view that everyone should perform

functions assigned to him and should not try to go beyond it. Thus, the king should rule and let soldiers
fight along on the battle field. But he wished that everybody should be completely devoted to the task
assigned to him and should try to attain perfection in that field.

*State Control Education System: An ideal state rule by philosopher was made possible through an
elaborate and rigorous scheme of education. According to Plato, state should have full and final control
over education. For him (Plato), it was only the agency which could produce philosopher kings and train
the minds and thoughts of the people in the right and proper direction. In his philosophy, education had
both social and individual

aspects. In society, education should promote social welfare, while individually it should bring soul
closer to reality. According to Plato, children were national possession and as such, it was obligatory on
the part of the state to bring them up according to their aptitude. He also believed that ultimately, the
children should be under state control and the state should not only provide them proper education,
nourishment and development but proper work as well. For Plato, human faculties were not hereditary.
An individual’s functional role in society was determined by his own natural aptitude, and not by
parental lineage. To ensure that the parents did not manipulate to get the best for their child, they were
made to give up their child to the state, which in turn would categorize and educate him in the
appropriate faculty that he was endowed with.

Plato started the process of acquiring a child’s education from the elementary stage. That elementary
education would be confined to the guardian class till the age of 18, followed by 2years of compulsory
military training, and then by higher education for those qualified. While elementary education made
the soul responsive to the environment, higher education helped the soul to search for truth which
illuminated it. At the age of 20, a selection was made. The best ones would now take an advanced
course in mathematics, which would include arithmetic plane and solid geometric, astronomy and
harmonics. These helped easily in acquiring the vision of idea of Good. Those who did not qualified to
join this exclusive category of esoteric minds would become soldiers, and form the second tiers of the
ruling elite.

The first course in the scheme of higher education would last for 10years. It would be for those who had
a flair for science. At the age of 30 there would be another selection. Those who qualified would study
dialectics or metaphysics, logic and philosophy for the next 5years. They would study the idea of Good
and the first principles of being. They would receive partial experience for ruling. They will accept junior
positions in military and political life till the age of 35. This period will last for the next 15years. By the
age of 50 the philosopher ruler was fully equipped.