Philosophy
We find the Sophists interesting and want to continue our discussion about them.
Protagoras of Abdera (490-420 B.C.) wrote many books including, The Art of Controversy, On Wrestling, On What is in Hades, and On the Misdeeds of Men.
He was a pupil of Democritus, the atomist, and his father, a wealthy Thracian, was a friend of the Persian King Xerxes. Xerxes granted the young Protagoras instruction from the King?s priestly cult, the Magoi.
The Magoi communed with the gods in secret and in public denied any belief in the Divine. Later, when Protagoras stated that he was perplexed about whether or not the gods existed, he was ostracized and his books were burned.
He said, ?Concerning the gods, I am not in a position to know whether or not they exist, or they do not exist; for there are many obstacles in the way of such knowledge, notably the intrinsic obscurity of the subject and the shortness of human life.?
Protagoras had a close personal relationship with Pericles, as demonstrated by the following story. A pentathlete, accidently struck Epitimus with a javelin and killed him. When Pericles heard about this he spent an entire day with Protagoras debating whether the javelin, the thrower, or the officials who organized the contest were to blame for the accident.
Protagoras said that man is the measure of all things. That is what is perceived to be the case by one man really is the case for him. By this definition, that which is must also be not, or is at the same time both good and bad, based on the perception of the viewer.
Being, for things that are, consists of their being perceived. ?It is clear to you, being present, that I am sitting. To one who is not present, however, it is not clear that I am sitting. Therefore it is unclear whether I am sitting or not sitting.?
- George Berkeley
(1685-1753) ?All the choir of heaven and furniture of earth - in a word, all those bodies which compose the frame of the world - have not any subsistence without a mind,? was the view of George Berkeley, an Irish bishop and philosopher. He was an empiricist...
- The Sophists
Societies evolve and change over time. Whether the causes are economic, driven by war, or merely fallout of an evolving political system, the results are the same. New generations have new outlooks and seldom embrace tradition. So it was in Athens during...
- Douglas Adams - Where Does The Idea Of God Come From?
The ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras is famous among other things for arguing that "man is the measure of all things." According to Plato's interpretation, this is the philosophical birth of relativism, the idea that there is no universally objective...
- Zeus' Existence
"Did Zeus Exist?" by Gary Gutting July 31st, 2013 The New York Times When my children were little, they liked to play “Mother, May I?” At one point, I combined the game with an early introduction to classical culture, changing the key question to...
- Benjamin Jowett
Benjamin Jowett April 15th, 1817 to October 1st, 1893 Today is the birthdate of Benjamin Jowett [1817], English classical scholar, probably best known for his popular and scholarly translations of Plato's dialogs. I well-remember my two volume boxed...
Philosophy
More Sophistry
We find the Sophists interesting and want to continue our discussion about them.
Protagoras of Abdera (490-420 B.C.) wrote many books including, The Art of Controversy, On Wrestling, On What is in Hades, and On the Misdeeds of Men.
He was a pupil of Democritus, the atomist, and his father, a wealthy Thracian, was a friend of the Persian King Xerxes. Xerxes granted the young Protagoras instruction from the King?s priestly cult, the Magoi.
The Magoi communed with the gods in secret and in public denied any belief in the Divine. Later, when Protagoras stated that he was perplexed about whether or not the gods existed, he was ostracized and his books were burned.
He said, ?Concerning the gods, I am not in a position to know whether or not they exist, or they do not exist; for there are many obstacles in the way of such knowledge, notably the intrinsic obscurity of the subject and the shortness of human life.?
Protagoras had a close personal relationship with Pericles, as demonstrated by the following story. A pentathlete, accidently struck Epitimus with a javelin and killed him. When Pericles heard about this he spent an entire day with Protagoras debating whether the javelin, the thrower, or the officials who organized the contest were to blame for the accident.
Protagoras said that man is the measure of all things. That is what is perceived to be the case by one man really is the case for him. By this definition, that which is must also be not, or is at the same time both good and bad, based on the perception of the viewer.
Being, for things that are, consists of their being perceived. ?It is clear to you, being present, that I am sitting. To one who is not present, however, it is not clear that I am sitting. Therefore it is unclear whether I am sitting or not sitting.?
- George Berkeley
(1685-1753) ?All the choir of heaven and furniture of earth - in a word, all those bodies which compose the frame of the world - have not any subsistence without a mind,? was the view of George Berkeley, an Irish bishop and philosopher. He was an empiricist...
- The Sophists
Societies evolve and change over time. Whether the causes are economic, driven by war, or merely fallout of an evolving political system, the results are the same. New generations have new outlooks and seldom embrace tradition. So it was in Athens during...
- Douglas Adams - Where Does The Idea Of God Come From?
The ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras is famous among other things for arguing that "man is the measure of all things." According to Plato's interpretation, this is the philosophical birth of relativism, the idea that there is no universally objective...
- Zeus' Existence
"Did Zeus Exist?" by Gary Gutting July 31st, 2013 The New York Times When my children were little, they liked to play “Mother, May I?” At one point, I combined the game with an early introduction to classical culture, changing the key question to...
- Benjamin Jowett
Benjamin Jowett April 15th, 1817 to October 1st, 1893 Today is the birthdate of Benjamin Jowett [1817], English classical scholar, probably best known for his popular and scholarly translations of Plato's dialogs. I well-remember my two volume boxed...