Sophistry is the unique philosophical school of antiquity

The path of philosophical thought in all epochs developed according to a similar principle: all the universal models are replaced by teachings that sharply rebel against all sorts of metaphysics and refer to the limitations of consciousness and cognition. Behind Descartes and Leibniz came Immanuel Kant, for the materialists of the nineteenth century and Hegel - the positivists. In ancient Greece, the cradle of all sciences, and philosophy in particular, such situations were permanent. One school criticized and refuted the other, and then vice versa. However, there were people who proposed an original solution to all disputes: if all philosophical schools contradict each other in theories, then maybe all of their "facts" and "arguments" are just "opinions"? After all, in fact, no one saw either Jehovah, or God the Creator, nor the finiteness or infinity of being. Sophistry - this is exactly the same "pill" against endless philosophical wars.

Who are the Sophists?

The most famous representatives of this school were Protagoras, Antiphont, Hippias, Gorgias, Prodicus, Lycophrenus. Sophistics is a system that is aimed at teaching virtue, wisdom, oratory and the basics of management. Of contemporary figures, Dale Carnegie is very close to her . Antique sophistication was the first system that the so-called "knowledge sellers" represented, which introduced an innovative type of relationship between trainees and learners - a mutually beneficial equal communication and attitude.

What did the representatives of this philosophical school do?

Sophists taught to convince people to think independently and were associated with the emergence of democracy in many cities in Greece. They proclaimed the fundamental principle of the equality of people among themselves, put forward theories and concepts that eventually laid the foundation for the construction of modern relations in the field of law and public administration. Sophistry is the basis for psychology, scientific philology, logic, theories of the origin of religions.

What does the term "sophist" mean?

Sophistry is a philosophical school that spread in ancient Greece. This doctrine was founded by scientists from the Greek polis Athena around the second half of the fifth century BC. The term "sophist" itself is translated from Greek as "sage". So called professional teachers who taught people oratory. Unfortunately, the writings of the founding fathers are virtually completely lost, practically nothing has reached our days. However, with the help of indirect information, it was possible to establish that this caste of philosophers did not attempt to create a complete system of education and knowledge. They did not attach any importance to the systematization of training. The goal of the Sophists was one - to teach pupils to polemicize and debate. That is why it is believed that classical sophistry in philosophy is a doctrine aimed at rhetoric.

"Senior" Sophists

Based on historical sequence, we can talk about the existence of two currents - the "older" and "younger" philosophers of sophistry. The "senior" (Gorgias, Protagoras, Antiphonts) sophists were researchers in the field of ethics, politics, law, and the state. The relativism of Protagoras, who claimed that "man is a measure of things," brought the denial of truth in its objective form to this school. According to the ideas of the "senior" Sophists, matter is volatile and fluid, and since it is such, perception is transformed and changed constantly. Hence it follows that the true essence of phenomena is hidden by the matter itself, which it is not possible to objectively represent, so you can talk about it as you please. The ancient sophistry of the "senior" is absolutely subjective and postulates the relativity of knowledge and knowledge. All authors of this trend follow the idea that being itself does not exist, since knowledge about it can not be objectively conveyed to others.

"Younger" Sophists

The "younger" representatives of this philosophical school, which include Critia, Alcidamus, Lycophronus, Polemon, Hippodamus and Frazymach, sophistry - is "juggling" concepts and terms, the use of false tricks that would prove both lies and truth. In Greek, the word "sophism" means "cunning", which is expressed in the activity of the followers of this teaching as an application of verbal tricks that are misleading. False arguments based on violation of logic were widely spread.

Methodological principle of sophistry

What is sophistry in terms of its application? A popular method is "quadrupling" when the principle of the syllogism is broken that there should be no more than three terms. Hence, false reasoning is created, in which non-identity of seemingly similar concepts is used. For example: "The thief does not want to buy anything unnecessary. Acquiring something good is a good thing. Therefore, the thief wants to do a good deed. " Also, the popular method is a collective middle term, when the distribution of terms by volume is violated in a syllogistic conclusion. For example: diplomats are people, some people play the violin, all diplomats play the violin.