Philosophy Now Forum

Due to Plato, "sophist" has a negative connotation. Yet taking it in its fullest sense of instructors of the youth for public life, fifth century Athens was teaming with sophists:

• Protagoras of Abdera
  Gorgias of Leontini
  Antiphon
  Prodicus of Ceos
  Cratylus
  Hippias of Elis
  Alcidamas (who ironically wrote "Against the Sophists")
  Thrasymachus of Chalcedon

During the fourth century, Isocrates wrote his own "Against the Sophists", and Plato named many of his dialogues after the Sophist he pits Socrates against. Antisthenes wrote On the Sophists, perhaps relating to Zopyrus. Aristotle is reputed to have criticized Isocrates' school of rhetoric. Yet Plato was dueling with sophists from at least two generations older than his students. Even Epicurus writing a generations later than Aristotle is still writing Against the Sophists.

Plato consciously filtered much mention of his rival socratic followers from his dialogues: Antisthenes, Aeschines and Aristippus. But what of the non-socratics teachers in Athens?

What is the list of fourth century sophists/teachers that Isocrates and Plato as "philosophers" felt the need to write diatribes against?

What happened to all the sophists? Nowadays most of then manage to impersonate philosophers and then secure tenure for themselves in prestigious houses of learning where they can then keep their snouts in the public trough until they die.

I'm skeptical of Plato's claims, so it must be fallacious reasoning... we know the forms are supreme...

names change but sophists are everywhere

-Imp

They claim the name "philosopher" now. They hide in what is not, and philosophers they are not.