Sophist

Metaphysics, also commonly known as first philosophy, has been studied since antiquity. The study of metaphysics generally seeks to answer the question of what is really ‘there.’ Many philosophers have contributed to this particular branch of thought. However our understanding of metaphysics would be less significant without the strong foundation of work by ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. One of the most important pieces of work to touch Western Society was Plato’s Theory of Forms. Plato’s work attempts to answer questions about reality and the world we live in. Moreover his writing has received both scrutiny and praise. This writing will act as an evaluation on Plato’s theory so that we have a better view of where his theory stands in contemporary philosophy as well as an understanding of the criticisms that have been made. In order to be able to properly evaluate the Theory of Forms we first must understand the theory and how Plato developed the logic. Plato first begins discussing the immortality of the soul and special matters called ‘forms’ in his middle period of writing. For Plato these forms are separate beings that exist outside of time and space. Moreover that they are objects of pure knowledge, and the reason for what occurs in our physical world (Silverman). His idea is that these forms are universals or key characteristics that are shared among many things. In example a table is square, as is a box, a stove and so on. Therefore for Plato,…

Plato: His Metaphysical Perspective on Ultimate Reality Plato is known in western culture as one of the greats when it comes to philosophy, he is most notably recognized in the field of metaphysics. He was born as an Athenian Greek around 428-348 B.C.E and was the disciple of the great Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. Plato wrote many books discussing philosophy through dialect and in fact, Plato was the one to record all of Socrates teachings. The works most known today are the Republic…

The third man argument refers to a criticism of Plato’s theory of forms. Plato believed that for every class of objects, a group of objects that share that same defining property or essences there was an ideal form that is over and above it. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes that for the theory of forms, for every property F there must be a form, F-ness, where all objects with F get that property. “From the existence of a plurality of F things and the fact that, for any such…

Introduction: In Parmenides, Zeno and Parmenides also Socrates joins in the conversation; they are talking about the theory of forms in which they are discussing. I will be discussing that the whole-problem theory can be defended, but to a certain extent. I will start off with Zeno reading a book to Socrates and their discussion about the theory of forms. I will then move on to my criticism, on why I agree with the idea that the form won’t be the same and I will disagree with the point of the…

Plato’s Cave Allegory in City of Ember The secrets of the real world lie buried underground, hidden in a secret box; a box that only Lena has access to. In this movie, City of Ember, Lena and Dune uncover a round map that may lead them out of their underground life. It is during their trek to find the truth that I discover many similarities between the plot and Plato’s metaphysical views. There are many instances where the theory of forms is present. In addition to a metaphysical comparison,…

Socrates vs Sophists Although both the Sophists and Socrates are considered philosophers due to their interest in human morality, their outlook regarding the subject of truth differs greatly. The Sophists, were skeptics on the matter of the existence of eternal truth, whilst to Socrates truth was an absolute. First of all, sophists took money for their efforts. They charged people and claimed that their teachings would make people wiser. Socrates, on the contrary, made no money for his efforts,…

In Plato’s Apology, the reader is brought into Athenian court where Socrates is defending himself against charges of not recognizing the gods of the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. While these are the charges being brought against him presently, Socrates finds it necessary open his defense by addressing an older charge – being a sophist. While Socrates, like sophists, ruminates on God, relativism, and the use of rhetoric, he asserts that all charges of his being…

philosophers. One of these groups were called sophists, and the other group is referred to as natural philosophers. These two groups of philosophers were different in many ways. However they also shared many similarities. Sophists were scholars and intellects who all came to Athens. Infact, sophia means wisdom. They congregated in Athens because this was the center of Greek culture. They lived in an era known as the pre-Socratic times. Sophists would preach to the people here, relying heavily…

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…

Sophistry Versus Philosophy In The Great Conversation, Norman Melchert says, “The term ‘sophist’ has rather negative connotations for us” (44). The Nature Philosophers and the Sophists were teachers. They held similar interests and intents; both groups lived in Ancient Greece, proposed radically different ideas, and argued passionately for their beliefs. The words “philosophy” and “sophistry” even contain the same Greek root, which can be translated to English as the word “wise” (Melchert, 44).…