Podcasts · Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle: The Thinkers Who Changed History — Fexingo History

Socrates vs the Sophists: Truth vs Relativism in Ancient Athens

29 Jul 2026 · 8:00 · S4 E182

The Sophists were the rock stars of 5th century BCE Athens—paid teachers of rhetoric and virtue who made fortunes by claiming they could make any argument persuasive. But Socrates saw a dangerous emptiness in their relativism. This episode explores the intellectual battle between Socrates and his Sophist rivals: Protagoras, who declared 'Man is the measure of all things'; Gorgias, the master of persuasion who boasted he could make the weaker argument stronger; and Thrasymachus, who argued that justice is simply the interest of the stronger. We dig into Plato's dialogues—Protagoras, Gorgias, Theaetetus, and Republic—to show how Socrates used his method of cross-examination (elenchus) to expose the contradictions in their positions. The clash was not just academic: it framed the very definition of philosophy as a search for objective truth versus mere opinion. We also consider how the Sophists' emphasis on success and power resonated in Athenian democracy—and how Socrates' insistence on moral absolutes ultimately led to his trial and death.

#Socrates #Sophists #Protagoras #Gorgias #Thrasymachus #Plato #AncientAthens #GreekPhilosophy #Rhetoric #Relativism #Elenchus #Ethics #Truth #5thCenturyBCE #HistoryOfIdeas #Philosophy #History #FexingoHistory

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