Sophist
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɒfɪst/
- In discussions about ethics, a sophist often emphasizes persuasion over truth.
- Protagoras the Sophist
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Watch on YouTubeSo she knew the leading sophist of the era.
- So she knew the leading sophist of the era.
- Well, some sophists lay laid claim to being able to teach every kind of knowledge whatsoever.
Examples
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Western philosophy was born in Socrates's struggle against such Sophists as Protagoras.
Academic text (1998) -
The conversation begins with an explicit focus on the art of rhetoric as taught by sophists.
Academic text (1995) -
So she knew the leading sophist of the era.
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The very word sophist comes from Sophos, which means wise.
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Well, some sophists lay laid claim to being able to teach every kind of knowledge whatsoever.
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Sophists in Greece were itinerant, traveling teachers of morals, and they charged a fee for their teaching.
Blog text (18) -
But Socrates makes it clear that the oratorical art itself, as sophists like Gorgias practice it, offers no guidance for ethical judgment.
Academic text (1995) -
Rereading the ancient sophists, Jarratt illuminates contemporary social issues such as the orality/literacy debate, feminist writing, deconstruction, and writing pedagogy.
Academic text (1993) -
The famous sophist Protagoras was known for his skill in argument and rhetoric.
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Many ancient Greeks sought the teachings of a sophist to enhance their rhetorical abilities.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Sophist = soph (opaque) = soph + ist
The suffix '-ist' is productive, but the stem 'soph-' is a Greek combining form not familiar to average learners, so the meaning cannot be directly derived.
Etymology
Sophist comes from the ancient Greek word sophos, which means 'wise'. It was used for teachers who said they were wise and who taught how to argue and persuade, so Sophists were known as skillful teachers of speech.