Philosophy and Sophistry

     We have learned many things from the ancient Greeks, but perhaps the most important is the value of ideas. The Greeks believed in wisdom. Ancient Greece was remembered for its many great philosophers. The word philosophy comes from a Greek term that means "the love of wisdom." The ancient Greeks were concerned with rhetorical skills. Rhetoric is speech that is used to persuade someone.

     One group of Greek educators were known as the "Sophists." Sophos is a word in ancient Greek that means "wise." The Sophists were skilled in rhetoric and were often at odds with the rulers in ancient Greece. They argued that the rulers invented the gods in order to control the people. One of the first Sophists was Protagoras, invented the "adversary system," where a student argues both sides of a case. Other Sophists were less interested in truth than in using their skills to gain power. Today the term sophisticated refers to a person who is cultured and educated. We get that word from the sophists.