Introduction
Philosophy is an important discipline which reflects people’s beliefs about what is true or real in accordance to individual values. Philosophy allows people to think rationally and hence determine the right course of action. The Early Greek philosophers were mainly concerned with justifying and answered questions on where everything originated (Rudebusch 2009 p 139). Educators surely need to have a standing point that enables students to understand why they think and act the way they do. Socrates and sophistry are both philosophies that can enable people to understand the logic and fallacies behind different critical facts. The two philosophies are more different as opposed to being similar. The paper comprehensively highlights the similarities and differences that exist between Socrates and sophistry.
The paper will first provide information on the two philosophical disciplines. Subsequently the similarities and differences between the two philosophers will also be discussed. Socrates was a philosopher born in Athens in 469 B.C (Rudebusch 2009 p 139). Socrates is highly regarded to this enormous contribution in the field of academia. He was able to shift the Greek philosophical thought on their view of the nature of the universe to examination of the human life and the problems they face. Socrates was the first scholar to study ethics as a science. It entailed studying morality in a consistent and systematic manner. Consequently, some scholars argue that Socrates teachings and values enhanced Christianity. Socrates’ students Plato and Xenophon have extensively written about Socrates beliefs and practices (Marback 1998 p 135). It means that his students share in his values and beliefs; hence this is the basis of philosophy. People should be able to analyze issues from a critical viewpoint and in the event where they experience difficulties then, references should be made from the work of past philosophers. The concepts of goodness, value and knowledge are indeed intertwined in the philosophy of Socrates. Socrates explained that “virtue is knowledge” and that good men should care for their souls. By caring for one’s soul, Socrates insinuated that people should be wise and hence strive to attain as much knowledge as possible.
Sophistry refers to the deliberate use of fallacious reasoning and moral unscrupulousness. Sophistry can both be regarded in the historical and conceptual sense. Other scholars view the sophists as progressive thinkers who placed in question the moralities that prevailed during their time (Marback 1998 p 135). Many people considered the opinion of the sophists to be untrue. However, it is misleading for people to purport that sophists were in all cases not concerned with the truth. The sophists usually incorporate the power of persuasive speech to create images of the world. Plato criticizes the sophists’ overestimation of speech and argues that it reduces the level of thinking to the kind of making. Inasmuch as the Sophists engage in persuasion, reality should not be compromised. The Sophists use appearance to argue out their issues whereas this should not be the case.
Similarities
Socrates and sophistry share a similarity in which they both seemed to have similar goals in mind. Socrates used actions while putting forward his ideologies but even though the Sophists used appearance, they were both determined to explain reasons behind different concepts. Socrates also referred to the Sophists as “wizard and imitator of real things”.
However, there are many differences as compared to the similarities.
Differences
The significant difference between the two philosophical concepts is that Socrates method employed a question and answer criteria in the search for truth. On the other hand, the sophists had a tendency of engaging in long speeches for persuasion purposes. It is, therefore, evident that the sophists are men of words since they lack evidence. Socrates consistently provides evidence to support his claims. In one of his books “Apology”, Socrates even distinguishes himself from the Sophists and states that the Sophists charge tuition fees and teach public speaking (Rudebusch 2009 p 139). It is, therefore, imperative to note that the sophists do not represent ideologies. It is obvious that Socrates values the attainment of knowledge since he does not charge tuition fees. Some of the students whom he taught became his followers and followed his footsteps. Plato even published many books in line with Socrates thinking, and it is true to state that Socrates was a role model to many scholars. Socrates' way of thinking encouraged people to acquire more information.
Conclusion
The two philosophical disciplines are both significant in one way or the other. Research has established that Socrates is a realist and advocates the need for people to attain wisdom and knowledge but Sophistry majorly dwells on persuasion. Persuasion is important especially when exercising democracy in which the leaders persuade the citizens to vote for them. Even though persuasion is the best practice, there are some circumstances that can only be overcome through the incorporation of wisdom. Most of the problems that people experience can be resolved if they become more rational and great thinkers beyond just appearance. Therefore, Socrates view indeed stands out since it is important to be knowledgeable. Knowledge is indeed power and is the greatest asset that a man can possess.
Works Cited
Marback, Richard. Plato's Dream of Sophistry. Columbia, South Carolina: the University of South Carolina Press, 1998. Print.
Rudebusch, George. Socrates. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.
