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Glite Dictionary
📚 About Protagoras 🧑‍🎓 A follower of Protagoras
Protagorean

Protagorean

9.9
Someone who believes truth depends on each person's view
  • noun
  • /proʊˈtæɡəriən/
  • Formal
translation icon : protagoreano
  • As a Protagorean, she argues that what is true for one person may not necessarily be true for another.

Examples

  • It is important not to follow the interpretation of Plato, who more or less jokingly takes Heraclitus to be a Protagorean relativist.

    Academic text (1991)

  • After explicitly attributing this theory to Heraclitus and a whole succession of wise men, the Heraclitean doctrine of flux is put aside for a while in order to explore the closely related Protagorean thesis that people are the measure of all things.

    Academic text (1991)

  • A true Protagorean believes that each person's perception shapes their understanding of truth.

  • In class, he identified himself as a Protagorean, emphasizing the importance of individual perspectives in defining truth.

Synonyms

relativist
vsProtagorean
4 8.0

A person who thinks that truth and moral rules depend on the situation or viewpoint

stresses individual relativity rather than broader contextual or moral relativism
perspectivist
vsProtagorean
  • Formal
9.9

A person who believes truth depends on their point of view

holds truth is relative to each individual rather than general rules

Surface Forms

Protagorean singular
Protagoreans plural

Morphology

Protagorean = Protagoras (semi-transparent) = Protagoras + ean

Derived from the proper name plus '-ean' to denote a follower or supporter; formation is regular but requires knowledge of Protagoras to be meaningful.

Etymology

Protagorean comes from the Greek philosopher Protagoras, famous for the saying 'man is the measure'. So a Protagorean is a person who believes that what is true can depend on each person's point of view.