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The Sophists

The Sophists. Logos the Mighty Potentate. Preview. Corax v. Tisias: Who wins?. Tisias, a student of Corax , once asked his teacher what rhetoric was. Replied Corax , “Rhetoric is the artificer of persuasion ( peithō ).”

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The Sophists

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  1. The Sophists Logosthe Mighty Potentate

  2. Preview Corax v. Tisias: Who wins?

  3. Tisias, a student of Corax, once asked his teacher what rhetoric was. Replied Corax, “Rhetoric is the artificer of persuasion (peithō).” Having got his definition, Tisias then tested his teacher. “Imagine we’re in court,” he said. “You’re suing me for unpaid fees. If I persuade (peithein) the judges that I shouldn’t have to pay, then I don’t pay. But if I fail to carry my point, then I still shouldn’t have to pay. You’ll have failed to teach me.” To that, Corax replied, “Don’t forget that I get my turn, too. So if I win, then you’ll have to pay. But if I lose, I’ll still deserve my fee. For I’ll have shown that I can train students so well that they can beat me at my own game.” (Adapted from an anonymous Preface to the Art of Rhetoric 14.26-27)

  4. Agenda • Recap and Update • Democracy in Crisis, Sophistic • Doxa in the Air • Protagoras, Gorgias • Sophistic Rhetoric? • McComiskey on Gorgias

  5. Recap and Update Democracy in Crisis, Sophistic

  6. Democracy and its Discontents Themes Theory Michels Iron Law of Oligarchy Weber Charismatic authority Finley Critique… • Sophists • “New Politicians” • Stasis • Recovery

  7. Finley’s Critique (of Weber, Michels) • Athens atypical. • Weberian typology inadequate. • Demagogues rare. • Structure unstable. • Popular legitimation contradicted. . . • by elitist model.

  8. Sophists: Preview • EPISTEMOLOGY • relativism • Protagoras • doxa (appearances) • Gorgias • Protagoras • Antiphon • ETHICS • Nature (phusis) v. convention (nomos) • Antiphon • Archelaus of Athens • RHETORIC – logos • limitations, powers • Gorgias • epideixis • POLITICS, EDUCATION • All of above

  9. Sophist, Word Notes Word Notes Characteristics Professional pedagogue Curriculum. . . household management political virtue critical thinking • Sophia • Sophist (sophistēs) • Sophistic (sophistikētekhnē) • Sophistry (sophisma)

  10. Doxa in the Air Protagoras, Gorgias

  11. Protagorean Relativism 1 (ontology) REALITY = (epistemology) KNOWLEDGE = doxa “opinion” • doxa “appearances” “Human beings are the measure of all things: of the things that are, that they are, of the things that are not, that they are not.”

  12. Protagorean Relativism 2 • “For every ... debate there are two … positions (logoi)” (fr. 6a) • “. . . to make the weaker argument (logos) the stronger . . .” (fr. 6b) • “Good speakers make the good instead of the evil seem just” (Plato Theaetetus 167b)

  13. Gorgias: On Being • Nothing exists • But if it did, unknowable • But if knowable, incommunicable • But if communicable, as what?

  14. Logos in the Helen Manipulating. . . Through. . . Word pictures (eidōla) Word magic (mageia) • Appearances (doxa) • Opinions (doxa) • Emotions (pathē) • Actions (praxeis) Sophistic as pharmakon (drug/poison),sophistic as antidote.

  15. Sophistic Rhetoric? McComiskey on Gorgias

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