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Sophism originated in ancient Greece with philosophers and rhetoricians known as sophists. The term originally meant a wise man, but Plato’s criticisms gave it a negative connotation. Sophists taught rhetoric and philosophy to prepare young aristocrats for public life, but Plato believed they taught manipulation instead of truth-seeking. Today, sophism refers to logically flawed arguments that persuade through emotional content. Accusing someone of sophistry is a serious criticism.
In modern English, the term “sophism” refers to any false or specious rhetoric that deceives the listener. The term originates in ancient Greece with a group of philosophers and rhetoricians known as sophists. It was not originally negative, but acquired a negative meaning largely due to the philosopher Plato, who was very critical of the sophists.
In classical Greece, the term “sophist,” which comes from “sophia,” the Greek word for wisdom, originally appears to mean a sage or wise man. In Athens during the 5th century BC and later, the term referred to scholars who taught philosophy and rhetoric, particularly to young men from aristocratic families. The sophistry in this sense consisted in an education that prepared them for public life, especially for political and juridical oratory. In Athens, all male citizens were directly involved in government affairs such as processes and legislation, making these skills very useful.
Socrates’ students, especially Plato, criticized the sophists, who blamed their teaching. Plato argued that sophists taught their students how to manipulate arguments and use dishonest rhetoric to win, rather than using philosophical inquiry to arrive at the truth. Protagoras, one of the foremost sophists, was said to boast that he could make the weaker of two arguments seem like the stronger. Plato’s dialogues show Socrates in conflict with sophism; Socrates engages in debates with sophists such as Protagoras and defeats them. Historians of philosophy believe that Plato’s dialogues may be unfair to the sophists, exaggerating their views and painting them in an unflattering light.
Sophism, however, became permanently associated with the criticisms of Plato and his student Aristotle. The term has come to mean any argument in which one participant relied on rhetorical skill and deception rather than fact and reason to persuade the other. Today the terms ‘sophistry’ and ‘sophistry’ are negatively charged, and accusing an opponent of sophistry is a very serious criticism.
In modern terms, sophism or sophistry is the deployment of logically flawed arguments that persuade listeners through their emotional content. For example, if accused of an immoral act, a speaker might point out that others have done the same thing. This has a powerful emotional effect, making the accuser look like a hypocrite or bully for picking on one person, but failing to answer the question. This fallacy of logic, known to philosophers as “tu quoque” or “yourself,” is a common sophistry.
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