How Successful Were Taught By The Sophists

Athens in fifth and sixth centuries BCE was extremely politically successful after Greece defeated the Persians twice, once in 490 and again in 480. It was seen to be the cultural centre of Greece, materially successful, artistically creative and had a huge political influence. These successes also caused philosophical thought to evolve. A group of educated men emerged during this time called the Sophists.
The Sophists, whose name meant wise and informed, travelled and offered tuition on grammar, politics, history, physics, mathematics and many other topics. They taught anyone that could afford their highly priced services. The most famous subject taught by the Sophists was rhetoric, which included speaking, debating and the application of logic. Their teachings altered the focus of philosophy to the concerns of the person and a person’s place in the world. This was an extreme change, as they were introduced after natural philosophers who were interested in questions of the natural world.
Sophists were popular to hire because of the emerging democracy in Greece and the need for those in politics and other prestigious careers to be educated. Parents wanted their children to have the necessary education for the highly skilled occupations in the government and law. They taught all of the …show more content…
He stated, “Man is the measure of all things”, implying that what is true for one may not be true for another but both of their positions are significant and valid. This idea became known as relativism. They often believed that concepts of justice and truth were created by those in power to suit themselves and their interests to control people and protect themselves. To them, they were just products of circumstance and habit; “Justice is simply the interest of the stronger”, to put it in Thrasymachus’s